The Mississippi State Bulldogs and Washington State Cougars have canceled their future home-and-home football series, both schools announced Saturday.
Mississippi State and Washington State were previously scheduled to begin a home-and-home series at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Aug. 31, 2030. The series was set to conclude at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash., on Aug. 30, 2031.
The series was canceled following the SEC’s announcement last month that it will begin playing a nine-game conference schedule in 2026. SEC members must also schedule at least one power opponent in non-conference play, and Washington State, a member of the Pac-12, no longer meets that requirement.
Below is a statement from Washington State:
Mississippi State is exercising a clause in the original game contract, which permits new scheduling parameters adopted by the Southeastern Conference to void the contract without financial penalty to either party. In August of this year, the conference announced that beginning in 2026, each SEC team will be playing nine conference games, a change from eight in prior years.
News of the Mississippi State-Washington State cancellation comes just five days after the South Carolina Gamecocks and Miami Hurricanes axed a future series. Other prominent series canceled include Alabama-West Virginia, Nebraska-Tennessee, NC State-Florida, Ole Miss-BYU, Ole Miss-USC, Cal-Florida, Texas Tech-Colorado, and others.
With the cancellation, Mississippi State now has two scheduled non-conference opponents in 2030. The Bulldogs are currently scheduled to host the Tulane Green Wave on Sept. 7 and visit the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on Sept. 14.
In 2031, Mississippi State will host Southern Miss in Starkville on Sept. 13.
Washington State’s 2030 non-conference slate is now down to two games, and both are in Pullman — vs. the North Texas Mean Green on Sept. 7 and vs. the Eastern Washington Eagles on Sept. 14.
The Cougars’ slate in 2031 now features three games, with two of them on the road. Washington State is scheduled to visit the San Jose State Spartans on Sept. 6, host the Virginia Cavaliers on Sept. 13, and travel to face the Toledo Rockets on Sept. 20.
Football Schedules
Not that this was a highly anticipated series, but I wonder if the SEC (and other leagues) will regret the nine game conference schedules. On top of competitive disadvantages, forcing schools to play five road games makes it very difficult for “fun” nonconference games to occur other than the four mandated in state rivalry games. 10 power conference games and eight conference games should be the way to go for everyone.
Why? Because Wazzu kept it close with their Egg Bowl rivals? Lol
Not the Mike Leach legacy bowl.