University of Wyoming to Celebrate Josh Allen With Super Bowl Ad

LARAMIE -- University of Wyoming alumnus Josh Allen, who Thursday night was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player, just missed out on making the Super Bowl this year, but some viewers of Sunday’s big football game will still get a glimpse of UW’s role in the superstar’s incredible success story.

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A 30-second video ad highlighting Allen’s rise -- from an unheralded, unrecruited junior college quarterback, to the Wyoming Cowboys’ multitalented signal-caller, to the Buffalo Bills’ unquestioned, record-setting leader, to the National Football League’s Most Valuable Player -- will air in Wyoming, neighboring states and select markets across the country during Sunday’s Super Bowl broadcast.

The spot will reportedly cost $2 million and will appear in roughly 25 markets around the country, including the Front Range, according to the Cowboy State Daily.

“Our Board of Trustees allocated $2 million out of its special projects reserve for the advertisement,” Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president of institutional communications, told the CSD. “We worked with the Office of Admissions to ensure we hit markets where we have successfully recruited students in the past, and the ad with air on local affiliates in those areas.”

Produced by UW Institutional Marketing in collaboration with UW Athletics, the video also will air in Super Bowl pregame and postgame shows on some local FOX Television affiliates.

“In many respects, Josh’s story is the quintessential UW story. As was the case with Josh -- a raw talent whose only Division 1 offer was to play for the Cowboys -- the University of Wyoming gives students from all backgrounds an opportunity to learn, grow and prove themselves,” says Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for marketing and communications. “We are delighted to celebrate Josh’s success, honor his unshakeable determination and highlight his inextricable connection with his alma mater in this video ad.”

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In addition to airing on TV in the select markets where UW regularly recruits students, the video has been posted on UW’s primary social media channels and official YouTube channel.

On campus, the video will be featured before Sunday’s game across the Steamboat Cinema platform, a streaming service available free to students. On Sunday, a student Super Bowl watch party is being planned at Pokes Pub located inside the Wyoming Union.

In his two seasons as the starting quarterback for UW (2016-17), Allen led the Cowboys to two consecutive eight-win seasons and two consecutive bowl appearances while earning a bachelor’s degree in social science. He was drafted seventh overall in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft by Buffalo, where he has flourished -- including being named the NFL’s MVP Thursday.

He led the Bills to a fifth straight American Football Conference East Division title for the fifth consecutive season with an overall record of 13-4. His MVP season included a completion rate of 63.6 percent for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

He also rushed for 12 touchdowns on 102 carries for 531 yards. Allen is the first player in NFL history to have five consecutive seasons with at least 40 total touchdowns.

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