Jan. 24—PULLMAN — Washington State’s 2026 and 2027 football schedules are starting to take shape.
The Cougars have scheduled a home-and-home series with former Pac-12 foe Arizona, according to a Friday release: Sept. 26, 2026, in Pullman and Sept. 25, 2027, in Tucson, Arizona.
WSU also announced two future Apple Cup dates: Sept. 5, 2026, at Husky Stadium in Seattle and Sept. 18, 2027, in Pullman. In the wake of the traditional Pac-12’s collapse, the schools agreed to five-year series extension, which has one more game, set for 2028 in Seattle. The date has not been announced.
That gives WSU four games each on its 2026 and 2027 schedules. Here is a look at how those are shaping up:
WSU 2026 schedule
Sept. 5 at Washington
Sept. 12 at Kansas State
Sept. 19 vs. Duquesne
Sept. 26 vs. Arizona
WSU 2027 schedule
Sept. 4 vs. Idaho
Sept. 11 vs. Kansas
Sept. 18 vs. Washington
Sept. 25 at Arizona
The Cougars are coming off a 24-19 win over the Huskies last September in Seattle. The 2025 Apple Cup is scheduled for Sept. 20 in Pullman, which will be the rivalry game’s first time returning to Gesa Field since 2022.
WSU’s last meeting with Arizona came in October 2023, when the Wildcats trounced the Cougars 44-6 . UA holds an all-time series lead of 28-19, but WSU has won six of the past nine meetings.
The Cougars’ 2026 schedule will be the first year of the rebuilt Pac-12, which includes new members Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Utah State, plus holdover Oregon State. Gonzaga is also joining, but because the Bulldogs don’t offer football, the conference needs at least one more football member to be recognized by the NCAA and compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Once the conference identifies its next member — or multiple new ones — expect WSU’s 2026 and 2027 football schedules to fill out.
Cougars add pair of new players
WSU added two new football players — South Dakota State transfer tight end Beau Baker and prep running back Travon Pankey, who was previously committed to coach Jimmy Rogers at SDSU.
Baker, who took a redshirt year last season as a true freshman, is listed at 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds. He earned a four-star rating out of Washington County High (2A) in Springfield, Kentucky, where he fielded offers from SDSU and NAIA clubs Cumberlands and Kentucky Christian.
In high school, Baker earned two all-conference honors as a quarterback, totaling 3,150 passing yards and 22 touchdowns in two seasons. He moved to tight end for his senior year, hauling in 28 passes for 482 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023.
A three-time Kentucky High School Activities Association Triple Threat Athlete, Baker joined the 1,000-point club in basketball during 2022-23 and was named MVP of his prep baseball team.
“Beau has a great length and size to be a dominant tight end for us in the run game and in the pass game,” Rogers said via SDSU release ahead of the 2023 signing day.
“He is very athletic for a tight end his size.”
As Rogers and new offensive coordinator Danny Freund take over, it’s clear WSU is going for size at the tight end position. The Cougars have also added 6-7 Michigan State transfer tight end Ademola Faleye, perhaps in an effort to establish a more consistent ground attack, which was the Jackrabbits’ approach in recent seasons.
Out of Oak Park High in Kansas City, Missouri, the 6-1, 205-pound Pankey totaled 4,828 rushing yards and 58 touchdowns during his prep career, averaging 1341 yards per game over four seasons. He was selected to the all-district first team each of the past three seasons and was a first-team all-state pick in 2023.
Pankey’s addition makes 17 high school recruits for Rogers, who has brought over 14 players who were committed to him at South Dakota State. The three who were still free agents were offensive linemen Trevor Bindel, Dylan Hildebrand and Jorden Cunningham, the last of whom was committed to New Mexico until the Lobos experienced a coaching change, freeing up Cunningham to explore other options.
Pankey is the first prep running back Rogers has landed at WSU, but the Cougars have also added SDSU transfer RBs Angel Johnson, Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods, who are set to join WSU returners Leo Pulalasi and Djouvensky Schlenbaker at that position.
“Travon is a physical and explosive back who has the ability to both make you miss and run through you,” Rogers said via SDSU release. “He is a natural playmaker.”
