The Washington State Cougars have revealed their 2024 football schedule, which includes six home games and a neutral-site contest.
Following the departure of 10 teams to other conferences, the Washington State Cougars and Oregon State Beavers will play as the only two remaining members of the Pac-12. NCAA bylaws stipulate that conferences must have at least eight members. However, there is a two-year grace period if a conference falls below the eight-team threshold.
As a result, Washington State and Oregon State will have to operate their football programs as if they are Independent teams, even though they are technically still members of the Pac-12.
Washington State previously had three non-conference games scheduled and recently announced the continuation of its Apple Cup rivalry game with the Washington Huskies, which is next slated for Sept. 14, 2024 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash.
The Cougars are set to open the 2024 season at home against the Portland State Vikings on Aug. 31 before traveling to face the San Diego State Aztecs on a date to be determined. Washington State also had an existing home matchup slated against the San Jose State Spartans on Sept. 21.
A new addition to Washington State’s schedule is a home matchup with the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Sept. 7. Texas Tech was previously scheduled to play at Oregon in 2024, but conference realignment had other ideas. The Washington State-Texas Tech game in 2024 will be the first of a home-and-home series, with the return game at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, slated for the 2032 season.
In addition to those five contests, Washington State will play fellow Pac-12 member Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore., on Nov. 23.
As a result of a football scheduling agreement between the two-team Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conference, Washington State will play an additional six contests against Mountain West opponents. In order to schedule those games, the Mountain West reduced the conference matchups for its teams from eight to seven. Additionally, the Mountain West matchups against both Washington State and Oregon State will not count as conference games for any of the participants.
The six Mountain West opponents added to Washington State’s football schedule in 2024 include Hawaii, Utah State, and Wyoming at home and Boise State, Fresno State, and New Mexico on the road. Dates for those games will be announced in conjunction with the release of the 2024 Mountain West football schedule early next year.
The 2024 season will be the fourth for Washington State under head coach Jake Dickert, who took over the program on an interim basis after seven games in 2021. Dickert has a 15-16 overall record at the school and a 9-13 record in Pac-12 contests.
2024 Washington State Football Schedule
- 08/31 – Portland State
- 09/07 – Texas Tech
- 09/14 – Washington (at Lumen Field)
- 09/21 – San Jose State
- 11/23 – at Oregon State
- TBA – Hawaii
- TBA – Utah State
- TBA – Wyoming
- TBA – at San Diego State
- TBA – at Boise State
- TBA – at Fresno State
- TBA – at New Mexico
@KevinKelleyFB,
WSU Cougars vs. BSU Broncos can become something special in football & basketball with the death of the PAC.
The Boise State Broncos are closer in driving distance than the OR State Beavers & in flight time than Corvallis.
Pullman to Boise flight time is = to that of Seattle for $$ making Sports of football & basketball.
If WSU & ORSU Administrations can face their implausibility of =ling the Dead PAC & wholly joining the stable, geographically centered, culturally similiar Mountain West they will become keystones rather thsn outliers. The MWs rising Tide will lift all Programs including theirs from where it will be otherwise.
ORSU & WSU could become more relevant than Calford in the ACC.
WSU & ORSU can retain the west coast location advantages their former foes UW, UO, UCLA, USC enjoyed in the PAC & not in the ILlinois HQuartered b10.
I disagree with you Herr Todd Oregon State & Washington State will be fine as Independent & having contractional obligation with Mountain West however would not mind seeing both ORSU & WSU play Arizona State,Washington & Stanford their past Pac 12 counterparts in future.
I don’t disagree that ORSU WSU could “be fine as independent” in football for 5 Years.
See the MW Website for the 17 other non $$ making Sports sponsored. The Beavers & Cougars play all 17.
The Beavers & Cougars can no longer say we’re a Trust Five conference Uni. with all the FBPlayoff, March Madness contracted access the PAC 8, 10, 12 had.
The Football – Basketball Athletes who won’t attend a non Trust 5 Uni. won’t choose WSU, ORSU.
2024s transfer portal can easily whisk those pre 2023 Trust Five football recruits out of Beavers / Cougars ranks.
My example to illustrate my point = a Trust 5 football Uni. becoming a geographical outlier in its new Trust 5 conference.
WSU – ORSU aren’t included in any Trust conference, there are none who want them.
The MW is a conference with the same type of State sponsored, Rocky Mtn. – Pacific States, large Campus size, economically & geographically prominent in their western Locations.
The MW competes every year with the American Conference for ‘Highest Top 25 polled non Trust 5 conference football team’ for 1 NY6 atlarge Invitation.
The Cornhuskers transfer 2 the edge of the b10 in 2011 yielded 5 winning yet mediocre seasons, 2011-15.
Since then Nebraska has had 7 strait losing seasons from 2016 – 2023, not counting the 2020 Lockdown – conference only season.
U.of Nebraska football = invisible in b10/national Playoff consideration.
I don’t expect to bring you into full agreement. The empirical W-L Football records / financial records of Unis. & their Conferences is personally verifiable online.
In a previous article, it said “…Oregon State revealed that its 2024 football schedule will feature five Power Five…”, so what changed that they are only playing 4?
No idea.