Apple Cup Renews at Husky Stadium as Washington and Washington State Open the 2026 Season

The long-running rivalry between Washington and Washington State returns Saturday, this time as a season opener rather than a traditional late-November finale. Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM PT at Husky Stadium in Seattle, with the Huskies hosting the Cougars in a matchup that reflects how much both programs have changed in recent years.

Washington State enters a new era in the reconstituted Pac-12, with a reworked roster and a fresh coaching staff. Kirby Moore takes over as head coach for his first such job, arriving after stints as offensive coordinator at Missouri and Fresno State. The Cougars also bring in quarterback Caden Pinnick, a transfer from Cal-Davis, giving Moore and the offense a foundation to build around. The roster has seen considerable turnover, however, with numerous players leaving through the transfer portal — several following former coach Jimmy Rogers to Iowa State.

Washington, meanwhile, is in its fourth year since departing for the Big Ten, and the gap in roster talent between the two programs has widened over that stretch, a contrast that will be on display Saturday.

Broadcast Details

The game airs nationally on NBC, part of Comcast’s (NASDAQ: CMCSA) media portfolio, with Paul Burmeister, Yogi Roth, and Zora Stephenson on the call. Streaming is available through the NBC Sports app. Shares of Comcast, which operates across media, studios, and connectivity businesses, traded at $26.49 recently, down 0.64% from the prior close of $26.66, with a market capitalization of roughly $94.4 billion.

On the radio side, the broadcast marks a milestone for the Huskies’ coverage: Elise Woodward makes her debut as the new play-by-play voice of UW football, joined in the booth by Cam Cleeland on KJR 93.3.

What to watch

• How Kirby Moore’s offense, led by transfer quarterback Caden Pinnick, performs in its first game together.
• The talent gap between a Big Ten Washington roster and a rebuilt Pac-12 Washington State squad.
• Elise Woodward’s first broadcast as UW’s play-by-play voice on KJR 93.3.
• Nielsen viewership and streaming numbers for the NBC telecast, a data point for Comcast’s sports programming strategy.
• Roster movement in future transfer portal windows, given the volume of departures from Pullman.

Source: original release