Yahoo Sports Why are Washington, Washington State playing Week 3? Why Apple Cup isn't in Rivalry Week
With the dissolution of the Pac-12, questions have arisen on how some of college football's historical rivalries would stay intact.
One such rivalry — famously known as the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State — will be played this week, even with the Huskies (Big Ten) and Cougars (Pac-12) no longer playing in the same conference. The two schools announced their rivalry, which dates back to 1900, will continue through at least 2028.
The caveat for this year's game will be that the two teams no longer play during the last week of the regular season, widely known as "Rivalry Week." This year's rivalry game will mark the 116th meeting between the teams. This year, they will square off at 3:30 p.m. ET from Lumen Field, the home of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.
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It will also be the earliest in the season the teams have matched, beating out the Oct. 11, 1941 game. Here's what you need to know about why the Apple Cup and why it's being played earlier than usual:
Why is the Apple Cup being played in September?
Washington has moved to the Big Ten, with Washington State remaining in the two-team Pac-12. Six days before the 115th annual meeting between the programs, the two schools agreed to extend the series through the 2028 season with a five-year extension.
However, Washington — which must play nine conference opponents in the Big Ten — was already scheduled to play on the road vs. fellow Pac-12 transplant Oregon during Rivalry Week. As noted in a Nov. 2, 2023 release, the Huskies had only 11 games on the schedule, with three open dates on Saturday, Sept. 14, Saturday Oct. 19 and Saturday Nov. 23.
Washington filled its first open date with the now-nonconference game vs. rival Washington State. The announcement of the rivalry's continuance came 17 days after Washington's Big Ten schedule was announced.
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"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," Washington President Ana Mari Cauce said at the time of the announcement. "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 (former athletic director Troy Dannen), 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."
Said Washington State President Kirk Schulz: "The Apple Cup is one of the oldest and most renowned rivalries in all of collegiate athletics. 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."
No dates have been announced for future games yet.
Washington-Washington State football history
Washington leads the all-time series against Washington, 76-33-6. The first-ever matchup occurred on Nov. 30, 1900, and ended in a 5-5 tie in Seattle. The following season, the Cougars defeated Washington 10-0 in Pullman for the first victory in the series. The Huskies' first win in the series came on Nov. 27, 1902, in a 16-0 win in Seattle.
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Future Apple Cup matchups
Washington and Washington State announced the agreement to a five-year continuation of the Apple Cup series on Nov. 19, 2023, ahead of their 115th meeting six days later.
The 2024 game will be played in Seattle at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. The teams will then alternate home-and-away campus site games through 2028.
Future Apple Cup game locations:
2025 (Pullman)
2026 (Seattle)
2027 (Pullman)
2028 (Seattle)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Washington-Washington State in Week 3? Apple Cup rescheduled
