SEATTLE — It’s a long-standing rivalry that pits the purple and gold against the crimson and gray—but do you know just how old the Apple Cup is?
The annual football game between the University of Washington and Washington State University began in 1900. It was played on November 30 and ended in a 5-5 tie.
The following year, in 1901 the WSU Cougars won, defeating the UW Huskies, 10-0.
Did you know, it wasn’t actually named the “Apple Cup” until 1963? From 1931 to 1962, the Huskies and the Cougs played for the Governor’s Trophy.
In 1963, the Washington Apple Commission donated the Apple Cup trophy to the winner of the annual game, a nod to Washington being the largest apple producer in the country—and the name was born.
From 1955 through 1981, the Apple Cup was played in Seattle in odd-numbered years, or Spokane during even-numbered years, rather than Seattle and Pullman.
In 2011, the Apple Cup was held at Lumen Field—the home of the Seattle Seahawks. UW played its entire 2012 season there, while Husky Stadium was undergoing renovation. The Huskies won the 2011 Apple Cup and then went 5-1 at Lumen Field in 2012. All totaled, the Huskies are 6-2 in the Seahawks’ home stadium.
For many years, it was the final matchup of the regular season for both teams and typically took place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. However, from 2011 to 2023, it was held on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
In 2023, UW left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten Conference – shaking things up. The decision left many fans fearing for the future of the rivalry. The game was played at Husky Stadium. UW won, 24-21.
In 2024, the teams once again met at Lumen Field. The venue change was because of the conference realignment. Final score? Cougs won, 24-19.
The Huskies have never lost more than two games in a row to the Cougs. On the other hand, UW has had 9 streaks of three or more wins in the series.
To date, the Cougs have won 33 of the matchups, the Huskies have had 73 wins, and there have been 6 ties.
The 2025 game will be in Pullman and is airing on KIRO 7 News. The kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
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