War Memorial Stadium brings Wyoming together.
Your body vibrating from the stomping feet of thousands of screaming fans, the sun shining at your back, the breeze in your face, the canon sounding the Pokes’ latest touchdown. Western Thunder taking to the field during halftime, swaying as they belt and pound out Ragtime Cowboy Joe, flanked by the Cheer Team, as you clap and scream, “He’s a high-falutin, rootin tootin, son of a gun from old Wyoming!”
It’s experiences like these that make the War so important to Wyomingites. And that’s the inspiration behind the Difference Makers Campaign, which paves the way for the revitalization of the west side of War Memorial Stadium, as well as a new state-of-theart swimming and diving facility.
“We are deeply honored to support the revitalization of War Memorial Stadium and the construction of the new swimming and diving facility,” says Trudi McMurry Holthouse, executive director of the McMurry Foundation and daughter of philanthropists Mick and Susie McMurry. “This gift reflects our family’s commitment to enhancing the University of Wyoming’s athletic programs and providing outstanding experiences for students and fans alike.”
Susie McMurry and the McMurry Foundation have generously donated a combined $3.5 million to support the Difference Makers Campaign. This gift—a combined $2.5 million from the McMurry Foundation and a previous $1 million from the late Susie McMurry—greatly enhances the gameday experience for football fans and boosts the competitive edge of UW’s student-athletes.
“The investment in War Memorial Stadium will impact thousands of people across Wyoming for generations,” says Tom Burman, UW athletics director. “Coupled with the McMurry Foundation’s leadership of the Wyo Sports Ranch, these two projects will reach the vast majority of people in the state.”
In the 1990s, the McMurry family ignited a remarkable era of energy development within Wyoming through the reopening of the Jonah natural gas field.
Mick and Susie McMurry’s support of UW has transformed campus through projects including the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center, UW Athletics, Western Thunder Marching Band, the UW College of Business, the UW College of Education, the University Plaza and Conference Center, UW Casper, the Wyoming Technology Business Center, the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing, and much more.
In 1998, the McMurrys established the McMurry Foundation, with the mission of building a better Wyoming and “paying it forward.” The foundation makes a significant and beneficial impact on Wyoming communities by investing in innovative ventures and establishing community programs that make a lasting difference.
In recognition of this remarkable investment by the McMurrys, the new premium club area on War Memorial Stadium’s west side will be named the Wyo Sports Ranch Club, after the Wyo Sports Ranch in Casper—a 131,000-square-foot complex for youth and amateur sports tournaments.
The Wyo Sports Ranch is a nonprofit organization and a public-private partnership that stems from the work of Tyler and Trudi Holthouse of McMurry Companies, with the lead gift from the McMurry Foundation. The facility honors Susie McMurry’s passion for youth and Mick McMurry’s passion to build a better Wyoming.
“My parents, Mick and Susie, always believed in investing in Wyoming’s future,” Holthouse says. “By supporting these projects, we are continuing their legacy and ensuring that future generations have the best facilities to foster their talents and build lasting memories.”
The stadium’s new premium club area will offer UW football fans a unique experience with exclusive access to an indoor space featuring premium food and drink options and a full-service bar. Enhancements on the west side will also include improved Americans with Disabilities Act access, 216 new premium logestyle seats, 3,000 new permanent chairback seats with increased leg room, renovations to the media and broadcast center, upgraded lighting for better visibility, and a new public concourse with improved amenities.
The chairback seating, bleachers, and access points were completed this summer, and the new premium club area, loge-style seating, improved restrooms and concessions, and the media and broadcast center will be finished by summer 2025.
Opened in 1950, War Memorial Stadium is the oldest stadium in the Mountain West Conference.
At an altitude of 7,220 feet, the stadium is the highest stadium in NCAA Division I football. Since 1950, it has gone through several upgrades and renovations. In 2010, the Wildcatter Stadium Club and Suites were added to the east-side stands, and in 2018, the McMurry High Altitude Performance Center to support student-athletes was completed.
“For nearly 75 years, War Memorial Stadium has been home—home not just to our incredible Cowboy student-athletes but home to the Cowboy and Cowgirl community,” says Burman. “Six Saturdays each fall, we come together as a family to share our love for UW and to help propel our student-athletes in competition. We’ve seen historic wins and trophies raised and shared lifelong memories that can only be made at a place like UW.”
The Difference Makers Campaign also includes support for a new UW swimming and diving facility with a 50-meter pool, locker rooms, and seating areas. This new facility will also serve the youth of the state, offering a 50-meter training and competition opportunity that is currently unavailable in southern Wyoming. This new swimming and diving facility has been sorely needed at UW. Although the John Corbett Building has served swim teams for more than three decades, the current facility is more than 50 years old and is inadequate to support a collegiate swimming and diving program.