Texas is coming to a completely new elevation.

The Longhorns are taking Wyoming along with them.

Still more than six months away from one of the most anticipated games in school history, the Cowboys are already preparing to host perhaps their highest-profile visitor ever to War Memorial Stadium.

And with online re-seller Stubhub.com advertising tickets for as much as $349, anybody hoping to be there on Sept. 12 better do the same.

"Well, I guess I'm a little surprised [by that number] at this point - we're still seven months away from the game," UW athletic director Tom Burman said. "Texas might be, today, the marquee name in college football besides USC, and so I think they have cachet we can't really recognize in Wyoming.

"The thing is, we've sold I think about 350 new season tickets and about half of our season-ticket holders have purchased their additional allotment of tickets they could purchase. So it's going to be a ticket that's hard to get."

It might not be impossible, but it could be more expensive than usual.

UW hasn't been the biggest box-office draw lately and hasn't had a capacity crowd since opening the season two years ago against Virginia, though the buzz for that game will be dwarfed by Texas.

The reigning Fiesta Bowl champions will have a Heisman Trophy finalist back at quarterback, an abundance of weapons and a national title-winning coach on the sidelines for a team that will likely be ranked in the top-five in the country when they arrive in Laramie.

Opportunities to host BCS-conference members are few and far between at 7,220 feet, and Burman and the rest of the UW administration can hardly be blamed for perhaps getting a little light-headed themselves.

They're working on an agreement for allotment with the students, bringing in additional bleachers in the south end zone to handle a larger crowd and trying to figure out exactly how many seats they might lose during the stadium construction project - though the headaches figure to be well worth it.

"That could [all] throw a little monkey wrench into it," Burman said. "But I think it's very realistic to think we'll have a very small amount go on sale to the general public.

"When they do, I'm thinking 1,500 or 2,000 tickets is probably close to what will go on sale."

Those likely wouldn't last long given the early interest, and the addition of new coach Dave Christensen has only added to it.

He'll have one home game under his belt before the spotlight really heats up for the Longhorns, though he'd clearly prefer every ticket be as hot as the second.

"Well, it's exciting, but my battle cry is this - the Wyoming football team is going to play six home games next year, and I want people to be passionate and fired up to watch Wyoming play," Christensen said. "It shouldn't matter who we're playing.

"Your team is playing, come out, support and get excited, let's watch some exciting Wyoming football no matter who they're playing."

There's no reason to assume the fans won't come out in force for the rest of the season, as well.

But in this case, the opponent definitely does make a difference.

"It's enormous for Wyoming," Burman said. "We call it a Million Dollar Day, that's our goal."

Tickets probably won't be quite that expensive.

But there's plenty of time before kickoff.

Contact sports reporter Austin Ward at (307) 266-0634 or austin.ward@trib.com.

COWBOYS TRACKER

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HOT COMMODITY Tickets for Wyoming's home game with Texas are being listed for as much as $349 online, and the Cowboys are already planning on the weekend being a huge moneymaker for the university.

HOOK 'EM: The nonconference visit from the Longhorns could be the biggest in school history considering their prestige, history and national title aspirations next season.

Texas will bring back a host of weapons, a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback and have a championship-winning coach on the sidelines in Mack Brown.

NUMBERS GAME: UW will have bleachers installed in the south end zone for the game, but it only expects to have about 2,000 tickets go on sale to the public.

HE SAID IT: "We call it a Million Dollar Day, that's our goal." - UW athletic director Tom Burman.