The 2024 Apple Cup between the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars is very different this year. Yes, it's still a big game for both schools, it's still each teams most-hated rival. Yet, it's not on Thanksgiving weekend anymore as the Husky Football program moved to the Big Ten, and it's not at either teams home stadium.
The 2024 Boeing Apple Cup between the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars is a neutral site game being played at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. The game will kick off at 12:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, Sept. 14.
When Washington Huskies sophomore WR Denzel Boston was asked about the rivalry this week and what it means to him, especially as an in-state player, the sophomore receiver didn't mince words.
"We ain't losing to no Cougs."
While this is a big rivarly for both schools, it has been very one-sided over the last 10 years... The Washington Huskies have won 9 out of the last 10 matchups. Historically, it's quite the same, the records for this series All-time, Washington leads, 76–33–6.
Denzel Boston, who is from Puyallup, said this:
"I'm a younger guy so this is only my third apple cup, but definitely watching it on TV and seeing that it's now going to be played at Lumen is a little different. I feel like what Carson (Bruener) was saying, the intensity is still there, everything is still there. It's still a rivalry game so I think we're just ready to attack this thing."
"I think it will be cool. Playing on an NFL stadium. We did a lot of that last year. Playing on an NFL stadium is always different. I think being able to play on that, and feel that will be pretty cool."
It's pretty safe to say, a lot of Washington Huskies players and fans, don't think they should lose to the Cougars, they have their number.
Everyone thinks this year is weird being at a neutral site, but the game returns to campuses next year — it goes Pullman (2025), Seattle (2026), Pullman (2027), Seattle (2028). Hopefully one day, we can get the Apple Cup back to the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving as well. It might be hard with the Cougars in the Pac-2 and the Huskies in the Big 10, but we can keep our hopes high that there can be a solution one day.