rivalry
rivalry at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “Apple Cup Gets a Summer Sequel: Boeing Edition Set for August”, “Jane LaRiviere on Gonzaga Week and what's next for WSU rowing”, and “Palouse Hoops Is Back: Cougs, Vandals Set Two-Year Series”. The Apple Cup is coming in August. Jane LaRiviere doesn't sugarcoat Gonzaga Week. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every rivalry story on Wazzu, newest first.
Apple Cup Gets a Summer Sequel: Boeing Edition Set for August
The Apple Cup is coming in August. Not a typo. Not a rogue heatstroke hallucination. Washington State and Washington have agreed to move next year's rivalry game to the heart of Palouse summer, and the thing is called the "Boeing Edition." That is real, and it is happening. Pullman in August is a specific kind of oven. The wheat is gold. The sun does not quit. The Kibbie Dome does not have air conditioning that works like you think it does. This is not a polite September evening with a slight chill. This is sweat-through-your-crimson-polo heat. And now the Huskies get to feel it too. The move makes a certain kind of sense. Boeing gets its name on the rivalry. The game gets a standalone date away from the November cold and the conference clutter. But make no mistake: this is a trade. You swap the drama of a season-ending grudge match for the chaos of a preseason-feeling kickoff when the Palouse is at its most intense. We have covered this shift before. Our piece "August Apple Cup: Pullman Gets the Rivalry in Prime Palouse Heat" laid out what the schedule change means for the town and the tailgates. Worth a read if you want the full picture. For now, the take is simple: The Apple Cup is getting a sequel, and the setting is all Pullman. The Cougs get the heat. The Huskies get the bus ride. Go Cougs.
Jane LaRiviere on Gonzaga Week and what's next for WSU rowing
Jane LaRiviere doesn't sugarcoat Gonzaga Week. She knows what it means for WSU rowing, and she's not shy about saying this is the kind of test that tells you what you're made of. The Cougs have been putting in the work on the Snake River, and now they get to see if that translates against a program that doesn't take days off. LaRiviere is the kind of coach who will tell you the scoreboard matters, but she'll also tell you the process matters more. That's a good thing, because Gonzaga doesn't roll over. What comes next for WSU rowing is the part that should get Cougs paying attention. This isn't a one-week blip. LaRiviere is building something that lasts, and the depth she's talking about suggests the program is past the point of hoping for a good race. They expect to be in it. If you're looking for more on what's ahead for Cougar sports, our piece on Korey Schroeder behind the mic for Boise State and Fresno State gives you a different look at what game week prep sounds like from the booth. Two sports, same kind of focus. For now, the oars are in the water and Gonzaga is on the schedule. That's enough. Go Cougs.
Palouse Hoops Is Back: Cougs, Vandals Set Two-Year Series
The Battle of the Palouse is back on the hardwood, and this time it's got a two-year guarantee. Washington State and Idaho have agreed to a home-and-home series, with the Cougs hosting at Beasley on Nov. 27 and the Vandals returning the favor early in the 2027-28 season in Moscow. That last part matters. The game hasn't been played in Moscow since 2021, when WSU won by a series-record 109-61. Idaho fans probably remember that one. They also remember last year, when the Vandals walked into Pullman and won 83-81. This rivalry is the oldest continuous college basketball rivalry in the country, running every year from 1906 to 2021. Then a Pac-12 rule killed the streak. The league wouldn't let its teams play opponents ranked too low in the NET over a five-year period. Idaho wasn't ranked high enough. So the series sat for a year. It came back in 2023, and now it's locked in for two more. WSU leads the all-time series 168-115. The Cougs are coming off a 12-20 season in their first year of the new Pac-12, with an overhauled roster. Idaho just won the Big Sky Tournament and made its first NCAA Tournament in 36 years, then lost most of its roster too. Both teams are rebuilding. That makes this year's game harder to call, which is exactly why you want to be there. If you're already thinking about hoops, check out the news that the Cougs get Duke in Palm Springs this November.