PULLMAN, Wash. — The Washington State University Cougars and University of Washington Huskies are facing off for the 111th time during this year’s Apple Cup on Friday, Nov. 23.
We have everything you need to know before the big game.
The game
The kickoff happens at 5:30 p.m. at Martin Stadium in Pullman. The location alternates between Husky Stadium and Martin Stadium every year.
You can tune into the game on Fox.
The Cougs are heading into the Apple Cup with a 10-1 record and an eight-game winning streak. The team is ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12 North division and No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings. UW is up to No. 16 in the CFP rankings.
The one-loss Cougs are ranked below two-loss Louisiana State University.
The Huskies have won the last five Apple Cup matchups, including a 41-14 win last year. This is the first time since 2006 that the Cougs are favored to win the Apple Cup.
If WSU wins the Apple Cup, they will be the Pac-12 North champions and face the University of Utah Utes in the Pac-12 Championship on Nov. 30 in Santa Clara, California. If WSU loses, the team will play in a TBA bowl game.
IF WSU wins the Pac-12 Championship, they play in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on Jan. 1.
On Nov. 8, CBS’ 24/7 Sports and the Rose Bowl both projected that the Ohio State Buckeyes and WSU will meet to battle it out. The Buckeyes have remained at No. 10 for the fourth straight week, according to CBS Sports.
If WSU makes the College Football Playoff, the team could play in the semi-final on Dec. 29 or the national championship on Jan. 7.
Weather
Rain is expected in Pullman after 10 a.m. on Friday and the chance of precipitation in the area is 80 percent, according to the National Weather Service. The daytime high will sit near 42 degrees.
On Friday night, Pullman will see rain and snow with a low near 31 degrees. The chance of precipitation that night is 90 percent, according to the National Weather Service. New snow accumulation of one to two inches is possible.
Getting there
Travel over the passes is expected to be "very difficult" at times, according to the National Weather Service.
Total snow accumulations of 8 to 15 inches, with more than 2 feet near mountain summits, is possible over the next 24 hours, according to the Weather Service.
Snow showers will persist through Friday night.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is conducting emphasis patrols running through Nov. 25 as football fans travel across the state for the Apple Cup.
Troopers in Spokane, Whitman, Adams, Grant and Kittitas Counties will focus on those driving too fast for conditions, distracted or impaired driving, and other violations during the emphasis patrols.
Electronic message boards along Highway 26 and 195 read: “Cougs and Dawgs – Save the texts for the game.”
In Seattle, the State Route 520 floating bridge, which spans across Lake Washington, is already getting into the Apple Cup spirit. The east end is illuminated in crimson and gray for the Cougs, and purple and gold for the Huskies.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says the winner’s school colors will illuminate the bridge for the weekend.
Fun fact: The SR 520 floating bridge is the world’s longest floating bridge.
A friendly wager
There is more than bowl games and championships riding on the Apple Cup. WSU President Kirk Schulz and UW President Ana Mari Cauce made a friendly wager on the game.
Schulz tweeted that if the Cougs win, he gets chocolate from Cauce. If the Huskies win, Shulz owes Cauce some famous Cougar Gold cheese.
Last year, Schultz raised the stakes by tweeting that the president of the losing team had to post a photo of themselves wearing the winning school’s colors.
