UW Partners With Buffalo Bills for Brand Awareness, Student Recruiting

Building on the University of Wyoming’s ad that aired during the 2025 Super Bowl -- celebrating Josh Allen’s Most Valuable Player achievement and his inextricable link with his alma mater -- the university has entered an agreement with the Buffalo Bills aimed at increasing UW’s brand awareness and building a student recruitment pipeline in western New York and among Bills fans everywhere.

 

UW is the official home game sponsor of Buffalo’s Nov. 16 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the university is designated as a proud partner of the Bills for the 2025-26 season. The agreement includes a host of in-stadium and digital marketing assets featuring UW before, during and after the Nov. 16 game.

 

“We are excited to continue shining a light on Josh’s achievements -- and UW’s role in his amazing career -- particularly in a community that has embraced him at a level only Poke Nation can understand,” says Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for marketing and communications. “In addition to our common love for UW’s most famous alum, Western New York and the Cowboy State share other characteristics -- grit, a blue-collar work ethic, a bison on our flags and a toughness that matches our winter weather. Josh’s experience also shows we are both places where underdogs come to shine and where MVPs are forged.”

 

In addition to the in-stadium and digital marketing assets, the UW/Bills partnership provides for a student recruitment event in Highmark Stadium and co-branded swag giveaways. UW Institutional Marketing will work with UW’s Office of Admissions on other in-person recruitment and brand awareness activities in the days leading up to the Nov. 16 game and will have a presence on the “Billevard” near the stadium.

 

The UW Alumni Association also is organizing activities in Buffalo, including a watch party in downtown Buffalo for the UW Cowboys’ Nov. 15 game at Fresno State. The association will also host a pregame tailgate Nov. 16 at Highmark Stadium along with Bills Mafia representatives. UW alumni and fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in or close to the stadium’s section 101. More details on those alumni activities will be provided soon.

 

Separate from the Bills partnership, UW’s Super Bowl ad is airing in Wyoming and Western New York on HBO Max, which is featuring the Bills in the acclaimed “Hard Knocks” docuseries. The first of five episodes premiered Aug. 5, giving the world front-row seats as Allen and his team prepare for the 2025-26 NFL season.

 

“As we’ve said before, 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,” Baldwin says. “The Super Bowl ad highlighted that connection, and this new partnership and other efforts signify our intent to build on the Super Bowl ad in celebrating Josh’s success, honoring his unshakeable determination and showing that UW gives its students an opportunity to accomplish amazing things in all fields of endeavor.”

 

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 in February.

 

Allen led the Bills to a fifth straight American Football Conference East Division title last 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.