Apple Cup scheduled for Sunday of Labor Day weekend
SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 25: The 115 Apple Cup field logo displayed on the college football field before the start of the 115th Apple Cup college football game between the Washington Huskies versus the Washington State Cougars on November 25, 2023, at (Jesse Beals / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)
The 2026 edition of the Apple Cup between the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars will be on Sunday of Labor Day weekend.
In an announcement by the Big Ten Conference on Wednesday, the 118th meeting between the two schools will kick off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 6 at Husky Stadium.
The game will air on NBC.
The Apple Cup will be the first game of the season for both schools. Traditionally a game that ended the regular season for the schools, the contest has moved to the early portion of the schedule with the two teams now playing in different conferences. It will be the season-opener for the first time in the history of the series.
It will be just the third time in school history for both schools that they've played a game on a Sunday.
Washington hosted Fresno State on September 5, 2004, in a 35-16 loss that was scheduled on a Sunday for TV purposes. The only other Sunday game for the Huskies came on December 1, 1918 at Oregon, which they lost 7-0.
The Cougars lost 38-13 at USC on December 6, 2020, in a game that was moved for COVID-19-related reasons. They beat Houston 24-22 in the 1988 Aloha Bowl on Christmas Day, which fell on a Sunday.
Additionally, Washington had two more non-conference games officially scheduled as well.
Washington will host Utah State the following week on Saturday, September 12 in a 12:30 p.m. kickoff. Eastern Washington then comes to Seattle the following Saturday for a 4:15 p.m. kickoff.
Both games will be on the Big Ten Network.
Washington State will follow the Apple Cup with a 9 a.m. kickoff at Kansas State on Sept. 12 in a game that will be televised on TNT and HBO Max. The Cougars home opener comes a week later as Duquesne plays in Pullman at 12:30 p.m. on the USA Network.
WSU will then host Arizona at 4:30 p.m. on September 26 in a game nationally televised on CBS.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Big Ten Network and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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