UW Renews Buffalo Bills Partnership for Brand Awareness, Student Recruiting

After a successful week of activities in Western New York last fall, the University of Wyoming has renewed a partnership agreement with the Buffalo Bills that aims to increase UW’s brand awareness and build a student recruitment pipeline in that region and among Bills fans everywhere.

UW will engage in marketing and recruitment activities in the days leading up to and during Buffalo’s Nov. 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens, and the university is designated as a proud partner of the Bills for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. The agreement includes a host of in-stadium and digital marketing assets featuring UW before, during and after the Nov. 1 game.

“We had an incredible experience in and around Buffalo last year, and the increase we’ve seen in student applications, confirmed students and overall interest in UW from our efforts in Western New York indicates that something special could be getting started,” says Chad Baldwin, UW’s associate vice president for marketing and communications. “As we’ve said before, in addition to our mutual affection for UW’s most famous alum, Josh Allen, the people of Western New York and the Cowboy State share multiple characteristics -- grit, a blue-collar work ethic, a bison on our flags, and both amazing friendliness 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.”

Last year’s UW-Bills partnership generated millions of impressions for UW in Highmark Stadium, on the Bills’ social media accounts and other digital platforms, and on local TV and radio broadcasts. A game-day activation event at Highmark Stadium capped a week of activities that included a student recruitment event in the stadium; high school visits; a tour of multiple high-profile community locations with UW’s Pistol Pete and members of Western Thunder Marching Band; and engagement activities at high school football playoffs.

Key to UW’s presence were the hundreds of UW alumni who attended the game and participated in lead-up activities, including tailgating with Bills Mafia -- where they saw Pistol Pete cement the Wyoming-Buffalo connection by jumping through a folding table, a Bills Mafia trademark.

“Getting to experience the Bills atmosphere while also having the marching band, Wyoming fans and Pistol Pete with us was the absolute best,” says Becka Anderson, the UW Alumni Association’s Denver network leader. “I met so many amazing people and connected with tons of alumni from Denver and all of the country. I would absolutely go again with the Alumni Association, as it made the experience so much more special.”

The activities also generated significant attention on UW’s social media channels and from traditional media outlets in the Buffalo area, with the estimated value of “earned” media coverage topping $1 million.

UW’s visit to Buffalo came just days before Allen -- accompanied by his wife, accomplished actor/performer Hailee Steinfeld -- returned to Laramie for a jersey retirement ceremony before a packed house in War Memorial Stadium. The value of media coverage from that event reached into many millions of dollars, as outlets from Wyoming, Western New York and around the country descended on the university for the first-of-its kind of event for UW.

This year’s UW plans in Buffalo will follow a similar script to last year, with one significant difference: The Bills are moving into their new, $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium. The Alumni Association has acquired about 100 tickets for the game against the Ravens and will make them available for sale, with notifications going directly from the association to its members in coming days. Pistol Pete and Western Thunder Marching Band members also are scheduled to travel to Buffalo again.

“Taking members of the Western Thunder Marching Band to Buffalo was an outstanding opportunity to connect with students in the region and showcase everything our university has to offer,” says Joe Carver, the marching band director. “Beyond serving as a highly visible and energetic presence for the university, our band members engaged directly with high school students to share their experiences and highlight the many academic and extracurricular opportunities available at UW. The trip was incredibly memorable for our students and left a lasting, positive impression on the communities we visited. We would love to be involved again.”

The Bills partnership and efforts in Western New York build on the UW ad that aired in 2025 during the NFL’s Big Game, celebrating Allen’s Most Valuable Player achievement and his inextricable link with Wyoming -- the only Division 1 program that offered him the chance to play college football.

“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,” Baldwin says. “When visiting Western New York, you don’t have to look far before you see evidence that Bills fans have adopted both Josh and his alma mater. For example, Josh’s brown and gold UW jersey, along with other UW attire, can be seen being worn and purchased at multiple locations across the community.”

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 2025.

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