Wyoming’s ‘Restore The War’ Project Nearing Completion

LARAMIE -- Remember when the east parking lot was just a field of sharp gravel and crude potholes?

Maybe your name was even hanging off one of those split, untreated wood posts, barely fit to tie up a horse.

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The Wildcatter Suites was just a pipedream then. So was the state-of-the-art High Altitude Performance Center. Its tan-stone façade now towers over the north end zone inside War Memorial Stadium.

Tom Burman sure hasn't forgotten.

In fact, Wyoming's Director of Athletics still has an overhead picture of the athletic complex from 2006, the year he took the reins of the department.

"It wasn't that long ago," Burman said Tuesday afternoon, just minutes after the local media toured the university's newest $85 million project inside this 75-year-old venue.

Single-game suites, along with loge box seating, have been installed on the west side. It's the second phase of the "Restore the War" plan that was hatched roughly 15 years ago. A new press box is also under construction -- and "on time," according to GE Johnson Senior Superintendent, Andy Sandoval --  for the home opener Sept. 6 against Northern Iowa.

This latest stage also includes a new Natatorium for the Wyoming swim team. The UW Aquatic Center is going up across 22nd Street from the main stadium parking lot. The final price tag is around $60 million and completion is expected in 2026.

A complete overhaul of the lower west stands was completed before the 2024 campaign. That included permanent chair backs, replacing the equivalent of 3,000 seats that were once old metal bleachers.

"I'm proud," Burman added, peering over his right shoulder at the black glass that splits the top and bottom sections of the Cowboys' home field. "I'm very proud of the work of all of us in this room and coach (Craig) Bohl and the people that were before us and the donors. I'm very proud of it.

"I'm also excited about what it'll do for Wyoming in the future."

This fall, fans on the west side can take advantage of modern concession stands, along with six new restrooms -- four of which will accommodate the ladies. The troughs, yeah, fellas, those are long gone. So is the Brown & Gold Outlet's makeshift operation. The Pokes' official apparel company now has a new home, a 1,532 square foot storefront in the northwest corner of the stadium.

Approximately 4,000 seats have been removed for this project and capacity will now hover around 25,000.

That removal made way for the new 3,000-plus square foot Wyo Sports Ranch Club and its many amenities, including five single-game luxury suites, a full-service buffet, two premium bars located at both ends of the lounge and all-important climate-controlled conditions.

The loge box features 216 unique seats with what Cowboy Joe Club Director of Development and Premium Seating Juan Soto calls one of the best views in college football.

Even the visiting teams will have a new locker room, roughly 2,800 square feet of, admittedly, cramped space, in the southeast corner.

Burman, who raved about the revenue this strategy will bring to the department, thanked the state legislature, Gov. Mark Gordon, the UW Board of Trustees and the many donors that made this plan possible.

"If we don't have those kinds of leaders in Wyoming, we don't have a stadium that looks like this," he added.

Burman said selling the stadium's naming rights, something he said could be a possibility at some juncture, was also circumvented in this process.

"I think there's only three War Memorial Stadiums left in college football," he said. "There used to be about 40, but they've all sold out corporate names, which I'm not criticizing, but in Wyoming, because of the state legislature and governor's support, we are able to avoid that.

"I think that's a great tribute to the many men and women who have served this country, from the state of Wyoming and from all over the country. So, I appreciate that."

Now, Burman said, the task at hand is obvious -- put a winning product on the field.

Wyoming limped to a 3-win campaign in Jay Sawvel's first year at the helm, replacing Bohl, who roamed the sidelines in this place for a decade.

"Last year wasn't good enough. Not even close," Burman said bluntly. "I feel really good about where we're at right now and where we're going to be, but we've got to flip it. (Finishing) 3-9 doesn't cut it. Coach Sawvel knows it. The leadership of that team knows it. You'll notice the T-shirts they wear, it says, "It's personal.'

"Well, it's personal to all of us. We don't want that to happen again."

Take a look at some of the photos from today's tour below. Also, you can visit restorethewar.com for availability, pricing and FAQ's.