Conference realignment has brought about many changes to the state of college football. One such change has been the introduction of a Week 3 “mini-rivalry week” as former conference foes have parted ways and moved to separate conferences but have kept their long-standing rivalry games. Instead of the weekend after Thanksgiving, some teams are playing their rivals early in the season.
The Apple Cup is one such game, as the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars will play their first game in separate conferences on Saturday.
What Is the Apple Cup?
The Apple Cup is an annual rivalry game between in-state enemies Washington and Washington State. This year’s Apple Cup will be the first Apple Cup contested between the two as non-conference rivals after Washington moved to the Big Ten in 2024.
The teams recently announced that the rivalry will continue despite Washington’s move as the teams have signed up to play each other through at least 2028. That starts in Week 3 of 2024.
The Huskies and Cougars have played every year since 1945 — except for 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
History of the Apple Cup
The annual rivalry game, first contested in 1900, was dubbed the Apple Cup in 1963. After the conclusion of the game, the Apple Cup Trophy is awarded to the winning head coach by the governor of the state of Washington.
Typically contested on Black Friday in recent years, the teams will play on Saturday afternoon in Week 3 of 2024. Washington has dominated the rivalry’s history as the Huskies lead the all-time series 75-33-6. The Huskies are also in the midst of a hot streak, winning all but one game since 2013.
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The rivalry started with a 5-5 tie before Washington State (then the Agricultural College, Experiment Station and School of Science of the State of Washington) won the first game. Washington won the next three meetings to take an early series lead it has never relinquished.
The game usually alternates between Seattle and Pullman, Wash., but after being played at Husky Stadium last season, the teams will play at Lumen Field (home of the Seattle Seahawks) in 2024. While the game won’t factor into conference standings, there’s still plenty on the line for the former Pac-12 foes in 2024.
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