Wyoming, Like Akron, Once Had a Gimmick That Panned Out

LARAMIE -- Call it a gimmick, a ploy or a stunt, but the plan has worked to perfection.

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Hoping to introduce some preseason excitement -- not to mention some cash flow to one of the most poorly funded FBS programs in the nation -- Akron football promoted the unthinkable early last week: Buy a season ticket and get entered to script the initial offensive series of the season.

"We're always looking for new ways to bring our fans closer to the program," said Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich, Director of Athletics. "This is about giving one of our most loyal supporters a seat at the table, right alongside our coaching staff, on the biggest night of the season."

The chosen fan will help design the plays with head coach Joe Moorhead.

Goodrich, who Sunday appeared on ESPN's Unsportsmanlike with Evan, Cathy and Michelle, said the school has sold "thousands of dollars" worth of tickets, the most since InfoCision Stadium opened in 2009. He also added suites are sold out for the opener Sept. 12 against Robert Morris and companies have approached the department about the potential for a jersey patch on the Zips' uniforms.

"The greatest impact of this will be more than just season tickets," Goodrich said, adding Moorehead was "reasonably skeptical" about the advertisement.

The school's post on X has reached 22 million "views" as of Sunday night.

Wyoming opened its 2025 schedule in soggy northeast Ohio, blanking Akron, 10-0. That night, a sparse crowd of 9,138 watched that unimpressive offensive performance from the home team. The capacity is 30,000.

You might recall, the Cowboys' football staff, notably Craig Bohl, once took part in a social media schtick that also went viral and made national headlines.

On Christmas Eve, and just three days after outlasting Kent State 52-38 in the 2021 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, the team's official account released a "Help Wanted" ad, of sorts, looking for a new quarterback. That came just hours after both Sean Chambers and Levi Williams, the game's MVP, who rushed for 200 yards and four touchdowns on just 16 carries, announced they were entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Then came the graphic, Josh Allen on the left, Bohl on the right.

"The college football landscape is changing with the one-time transfer rule and NIL," it stated. "Our staff anticipated this movement and have a clear vision to navigate these uncharted waters. After a successful early signing day, Cowboy football will address the need to sign a quarterback via the transfer portal or junior college. We believe this is a great opportunity for a transfer quarterback to come in and make an impact on our program. We've seen that before when we brought Josh Allen into our program, and we're excited for the next chapter of Cowboy football."

Remember, it was a Bohl-led staff at North Dakota State that also coaxed another future first-round pick, Carson Wentz, to ink with the Bison.

Wyoming reportedly received interest from Buffalo transfer Kyle Vantrease (he ended up at Georgia Southern) and Utah State's Andrew Peasley.

By now, you know how that went down.

Peasley was a two-year starter in Laramie, throwing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also amassed 758 yards on the ground and found the end zone nine more times with his legs, while helping lead the Cowboys to back-to-back postseason appearances and an upset victory over Texas Tech in the '23 season opener.

Like Akron, it seems that strategy paid off, too.

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