A former Pac-12 foe is back on the menu … for two years at least.
It may be late January but that doesn’t mean there isn’t Washington State Cougars football news. In this case, it’s everyone’s favorite topic: future non-conference scheduling!
WSU announced this afternoon that the dates for two future Apple Cups with the 2026 edition taking place on Sept. 5th in Seattle and the 2027 game taking place on Sept. 18th in Pullman. That will be years three and four respectively of the schools’ five year deal to continue the annual series following Washington’s departure for the Big Ten.
The school also announced today that the Arizona Wildcats will be back on the schedule, albeit temporarily. The Cougs will host the Wildcats on Sept. 26, 2026 before heading to Tucson the following year on Sept. 25th. Arizona’s schedule opened up after a previously scheduled non-conference agreement with the BYU Cougars had to be scrapped as the schools are now both in the Big 12.
Buried in the release as well: the Cougs have replaced Fresno State on Sept. 19, 2026 (since that will be a conference game by then) with … Duquense? Okay then!
This sets up an absolutely tremendous three weeks in Pullman to begin 2027, with consecutive visits from the Idaho Vandals, the Kansas Jayhawks and then the Apple Cup. You might as well long-term rent an AirBNB if we’re being honest.
One other thing worth noting here is how many non-conference games Washington State is scheduling: four. That probably gives you an indication that they expect at least two more football playing members in the Pac-12 to bring it to nine schools for an eight game conference schedule. Worth keeping in mind as we approach the time when the conference should be announcing a media deal.