The Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars, who will be in separate conferences next season, have agreed to continue their Apple Cup football series through the 2028 season.
Washington is leaving the Pac-12 next season and will join the Big Ten Conference along with Oregon, UCLA, and USC. Meanwhile, Washington State and Oregon State will remain as the lone members of the Pac-12 Conference, at least for the 2024 season.
The Washington-Washington State football series, which has been named the Apple Cup since 1963, will continue next season with the Huskies and Cougars playing at Lumen Field, the home of the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle, Wash., on Sept. 14, 2024. The contest will mark the second-consecutive Apple Cup played in Seattle following the 2023 contest, which is slated for Saturday, Nov. 25 at Husky Stadium (4:00pm ET/1:00pm PT, FOX).
“The Apple Cup tradition is beloved by Huskies, Cougars and football fans across Washington and beyond, so one of my priorities has been to ensure that it continues into this new era,” said University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce. “I’m thrilled that we’ll be able to continue this tradition, and to kick off the new era at Lumen Field before returning to each campus. I’m grateful to Troy, our colleagues at Washington State University and our partners at First & Goal, Inc. for collaborating to make this happen. This is a win for our fans, our universities and the state of Washington.”
Following the 2024 contest, the Apple Cup will alternate between the school’s campuses, with the odd year contests played at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. (2025 & 2027) and the even year contests played at Husky Stadium in Seattle (2026 & 2028). Exact dates for those four contests have not yet been finalized.
“The Apple Cup is one of the oldest and most renowned rivalries in all of collegiate athletics,” said WSU President Kirk Schulz. “For more than a century, fans across the state have been circling the Apple Cup date on their calendars. We are pleased that we will be able to continue this beloved tradition for future generations of Coug fans.”
Washington and Washington State first met on the gridiron in 1900 and have played a total of 114 contests. The Huskies currently lead the overall series 75-33-6.
“We are appreciative of the efforts that First & Goal Inc. President Chuck Arnold and our friends at First & Goal have made in securing Lumen Field for the 2024 Apple Cup,” said WSU Director of Athletics Pat Chun. “Lumen Field is one of the premier venues in all of sports and for our student-athletes to compete there will be a lifelong memory. While there is certainly passion on both sides, there is a common desire to represent the great state of Washington in the annual showdown. We are appreciative for this collaboration with Troy Dannen and the University of Washington to ensure the game continues for years to come.”
“While the landscape of intercollegiate athletics continues to change—including conference affiliation—the Apple Cup remains an indelible part of our universities’ identities, and we are thrilled to find a framework to continue the more than a century tradition of football between the schools,” said University of Washington Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. “This game means so much to so many and we are grateful to Washington State and Pat Chun for allowing us to reach a mutually beneficial arrangement for the years to come.”
Football Schedules
Good to see this happen. These two schools should play each other every year. WSU almost had to do this in order to beef up its schedule for the next few years.
See Oklahoma State? You can schedule Oklahoma if you really want too…
OK St. feels jilted and doesn’t want to.
Oklahoma St. doesn’t need to. Being a member of the Big 12, it doesn’t need to worry about filling up its schedule. WSU, on the other hand, is going to find it difficult to fill a 12 game schedule with decent opponents.