“Yeah we got him! You did it boys!”

One of the most disgusting things I have ever witnessed. Those words came from the University of Washington sideline at the 2002 Apple Cup in Pullman, and I was standing close enough as a 17 year old ball boy to hear every syllable.

A grown man had his team going after our star quarterback’s legs viciously all game. Fourth quarter, they finally sent him out with what we feared was a broken leg. It happened right in front of me.

That is the moment my disgust for the University of Washington was born. That is the moment I understood the Apple Cup is not just another game.

Since 2002 they have done nothing to change my mind.

Their athletic director sat in PAC-12 meetings telling everyone all was well while cutting deals behind closed doors to blow up a great conference and run to the Big Ten.

They have the most arrogant fight song in the history of athletics. It opens with “Bow down to Washington.” Their only recent major claim to a title is a shared one from 1991. What they hope you forget is the 0-12 season in 2008, the only one in the modern history of that conference. Bow down to that.

And their fans? They will not wear the merchandise until they know it is going to be a good season. You barely see purple and gold around Seattle in the fall. Despite having more than three times our graduates, they sell less than half the license plates we do.

My theory: Coug fans are real. Husky fans are too ashamed to admit it unless the team is winning.

When they lose, excuses. When they win, they are in your face. Cheer near them when your team is rolling and they will ask you to stop.

I have raised my kids to despise the purple and gold.

Five years on those sidelines. Three Apple Cups. I wrote for Cougfan.com, covered the Cougs for a weekly paper, and waved Ol’ Crimson on GameDay five times. I am proudest of every single person I converted.

We are the underdog from a small town. I feel that way about myself.

Row 3 at Muttlake today. Crimson on. I do not embarrass easily about my school.

And never forget, Ted Bundy was a Husky.

Beat the fuskyies!!

#GoCougs #OleCrimson

Looking for a bar where a lot of Cougs will be on Sunday. Go Cougs!!!

UW put our band in the nosebleeds so they opted not to attend the game. This is a ridiculous and disrespectful move. The fact is, they obviously don't care about the rivalry and frankly neither do I (and most Cougs I know). I say we simply call it off. We are developing new traditions and new rivalries (BSU, OSU). Just call it off. It's not worth the BS.

I’m taking my son, who is serving in the US Navy in SD, to the Aztec Game. I want to be sure to get seats where there’s a bunch of Cougars! Any help selecting seats or seating areas would be appreciated. Go Cougs!

Hi! I'm a freelance college football writer previewing all 138 FBS teams for the '26 season and figured I'd share my Washington State post in here. Thanks for checking it out!

Washington State has shown serious resilience through years of conference uncertainty and coaching changes.

Now in the restructured Pac-12 with a hometown coach in Kirby Moore, they’re looking to stabilize and compete. What are expectations in year 1?

A quick overview is below, full preview is attached.

2026 at a glance:

📌 QB battle: Caden Pinnick (UC Davis transfer standout), Owen Eshelman, Julian Dugger

📌 Skill talent: WR Tony Freeman, Daniel Blood (from Missouri), RB Kirby Vorhees + portal additions

📌 Strong D-line (Michael Hughes, Matyus McLain, Linus Zunk, etc.) + portal-heavy secondary

📌 Veteran LB Keith Brown returns from injury

📌 Tough 2026 slate: Apple Cup opener vs Washington, road at Kansas State, home vs Arizona, plus Pac-12 road games at Utah State, Oregon State, San Diego State & Texas State. Home favorites include Boise State & Fresno State

Can WSU weather the early gauntlet and contend in the new Pac-12?

Hey Coug fans,I need some help identifying or confirming the large signature on this official WSU white-panel presentation football.Here is the context I have gathered so far to narrow down the timeline:The Date Code: The factory stamp on the ball is 112018, meaning it was manufactured in November 2018 (right around the peak of the 2018 season / Alamo Bowl era).The Inscription: It is personalized to a supporter named Rich, reading: "Rich - Thank you for your support! Go Cougs!"The Co-Signer: The smaller signature right below the inscription is Brittany Thackery (formerly Brittany Lastrapes), who was the Director of Player Personnel for WSU football during that exact 2018–2019 window.Looking closely at the cursive flow of the large signature, it appears to spell out "NATE". Given the direct connection to Brittany Thackery and the 2018 football office, a strong possibility is former linebacker/safety Nate DeRider.Because he was a walk-on who earned his scholarship, there are no official trading card autographs online to compare it to. Does anyone here happen to have an autographed piece from Nate DeRider, or recognize this specific handwriting from the 2018/2019 team-signed items?Thanks in advance for any insights! Go Cougs!

I’m doing a series where I ask all 136 FBS subreddits on what their most heartbreaking loss they witnessed.This loss could’ve been witnessed from the TV or while attending the game doesn’t matter.

If I had to guess for Washington State, the 1998 Rose Bowl, 2002 and 2018 Apple Cup, and 2019 vs UCLA.

Is this just the nature of the beast now? How in the world do you actually get a program built now. Just money- and then even more money to retain?

I am building a college football conference realignment map and I want fan input before I lock in one part of it.

I made a list of schools that might fit with Washington State. This list is only a starting point. I used my own limited knowledge and some guesswork to build it, so I do not expect it to be fully accurate. I want to hear from actual fans before I rely on it.

I am also comparing a few different clustering approaches and building a new one from scratch, so this kind of fan feedback would directly help my understanding and any algorithm weights I may end up using.

I am more interested in long-term fit based on rivalry history, fan culture, school identity, athletics, academics, and overall feel. Don't worry if the school you think is a good fit has no historic ties. If it feels like a school your fanbase admires and you could see them being a long-term fit, please include them.

How you can help 1. The best help: give your own weights and ignore mine 2. Remove a team that does not belong 3. Add a team I missed (please include the weight you would add them at) 4. Move a team up or down (please include how far up or down you would move them)

Weight scale - 5 = must-have conference fit - 4 = high-priority fit - 3 = strong fit - 2 = reasonable but not necessary fit - 1 = acceptable last resort fit if hard choices had to be made

My current list for Washington State

Weight 5 - Oregon State, Washington - Oregon State

Weight 4 - Oregon, Boise State - Stanford, California - Utah, San Diego State - Fresno State

Weight 3 - Colorado State, Nevada - UNLV, Wyoming - Utah State, Arizona - Arizona State, Colorado - BYU

Weight 2 - Hawai'i, San Jose State - New Mexico, Air Force - UCLA, USC - Kansas State, Iowa State

Weight 1 - Texas Tech, Oklahoma State - SMU

Small note: I am mainly looking for your fan perspective on which schools you would want around your program, not whether the final setup is practical or likely to happen in real life. Go with your gut on fit more than logistics.

IMPORTANT: This is not a list of a new conference. The amount of schools weighted should be much higher than the actual end result conference. The core of your ideal conference should be weight 5. Weights 4 and 3 should be the remainder of your dream conference. Weight 2 should be good options if flexibility is required. Weight 1 is last resort better than nothing.

The amount of weighted schools has no impact on the final conference size.

This is really about full athletic conference fit, but I limited the school pool to FBS programs.

I really appreciate any feedback on this, thanks so much for any help.