Washington State Football: 2026 Schedule Released

The Pac-12 returns for a full conference schedule in the upcoming college football season

Nov 29, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars running back Angel Johnson (1) celebrates a a touchdown against the Oregon State Beavers in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Washington State Cougars won 32-8. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

The 2026 season schedule is now officially out for Washington State. The 12-games slate features another two-contest duel with Oregon State as well as a newly-shaped conference docket against the newest Pac-12 teams. Here's what the road this fall will look like for the Cougars:

September 5 - at Washington

The 2026 season will get started with the earliest Apple Cup game ever. This year the rivalry swings back to Seattle and Washington State is looking to get revenge for last fall's 59-24 loss to the Huskies. This will mark the 118th playing of the game between the two programs and third since Washington left for the Big Ten. UW will once again bring some high-octane players to the table with guys like quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and former Coug linebacker Taariq "Buddha" Al Uqdah. It will be a tall order in Kirby Moore's first game but he has the chance to ingratiate himself to WSU in a big way if he can topple the rivals right out of the gate.

September 12 - at Kansas State

The Cougars will keep the show on the road in Week 2 when they travel to Kansas State to take on the Wildcats. KSU, like Washington State, will be led by a first-year head coach this season as former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein takes the reins. This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools and should pose quite the challenge for Washington State as it makes the trek down to Manhattan. Senior signal caller Avery Johnson returns as does standout running back Joe Jackson among a handful of others.

September 19 - Duquesne

After the two-game road trip to start the year, Washington State will return home for what should be a much easier contest against Duquesne. The Dukes hail from the Northeast Conference in the FCS and will have to make the long trip West to take on the Cougs. WSU has not lost to a lower-level opponent since 2016 (although Idaho did come in and give them a scare last season). Front to back this ought to be a very gettable game for Moore and his team and it could be just what the doctor ordered after what might be a tough start.

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September 26 - Arizona

The Cougars will round out the non-conference portion of their schedule with a battle against a familiar old foe in Arizona. The Wildcats will be the second Big 12 team that WSU faces in 2026 and will make their first trip to Martin Stadium in three years. Arizona has seen steady improvement in Brent Brennan's first two seasons and was a bowl team last year. They did, however, lose some big names on both offense and defense including star DB Dalton Johnson and quarterback Noah Fifita. Washington State has not beaten the Wildcats since 2022.

October 3 - Fresno State

The new Pac-12 gets underway this season and the inaugural game for Washington State in this iteration of it will be against new member Fresno State at home on October 3. The Bulldogs are one of five former Mountain West programs to comprise the resurrected version of the Conference of Champions and they have a recent history with the Cougars, having last faced them in 2024. Fresno State put together one of the better runs they've seen lately in 2025, winning five games and coming out on top in Arizona Bowl. Now head coach Matt Entz in his second year leading the program and seems to have them as an early contender.

October 10 - at Utah State

WSU will get rematch with last season's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl dance partner in Utah State. The Aggies, too, are an incumbent member of the Pac-12 and will take on Washington State for the third straight year. Bronco Mendenhall guided USU to a 6-7 record in his first season and now has his sights set higher in 2026 but Utah State also said goodbye to a fair amount of its talent from last year. Star receiver Braden Pegan hit the portal while others like QB Bryson Barnes and linebacker John Miller exhausted their eligibility.

October 17 - at Oregon State

Like last season, Washington State will take on Oregon State twice this year and the first of those meetings will come in mid October with the Cougs making the trip to Corvallis. With a former Beaver on their roster now in receiver Darrius Clemons, the WSU-OSU clash should be even more interesting moving forward. The Cougars split their season series with the Beavs in 2025, losing on the road before winning at home to close out the year and secure bowl eligibility. Oregon State is hoping for a totally different result in 2026 going just 2-10 a year ago. Former Alabama assistant JaMarcus Shephard was named the team's new head coach shortly after last season ended.

October 24 - Boise State

Boise State will come through town in Week 8. Just two year removed from their berth in the College Football Playoff, the Broncos are coming off three consecutive Mountain West championships as they join the Pac-12 and shape up to be one of Washington State's toughest opponents on the 2026 slate. The last time the two teams met in 2024, Boise State rolled to a 45-24 victory. While the Cougs might not have to contend with running back phenom Ashton Jeanty this time around, they will still have to face signal caller Maddux Madsen. This game will also serve as an extra meaningful one for Moore who played at Boise State from 2009 to 2013.

October 31 - at San Diego State

The Cougars will take another team they've become familiar with in recent years on Halloween when they face San Diego State. Washington State has beaten the Aztecs in each of the last two seasons. Sean Lewis had SDSU flying high last year and now, as he enters his third season leading the program, they again look to be solid. With running back Lucky Sutton back in the mix after a stellar season that saw him go for nearly 1,300 yards last year, San Diego State will be a tough matchup again this time around.

November 14 - Colorado State

After a late bye week, Washington State will welcome in another team it beat last year in Colorado State. CSU won just two games last year and made a coaching change, firing Jay Norvell and hiring former NFL head coach Jim Mora. Mora's Rams are looking to return to a bowl game for the first time in two seasons but will have an uphill battle to do so. They will have to replenish several of their top positions including quarterback, running back and... perhaps most notably... linebacker after losing stud Owen Long.

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November 21 - at Texas State

The final road game of the regular season will pit Washington State against a Texas State team it has never seen before on the gridiron. The Bobcats are the lone squad to join the Pac-12 out of the Sun Belt and are coming off a 7-6 season that saw them reach and win the Armed Forces Bowl. Texas State is the midst of its most successful era since it joined the FBS thanks to the efforts of head coach G.J. Kinne who enters Year Four in 2026. The Bobcats should once again field a good team this fall and will give WSU a tough November test as the season draws to a close.

November 28 - Oregon State

Just like they did last year, Washington State and Oregon State will take each other on for a second time to wrap up the regular season. Unlike last year, though, there will be a longer gap between the first and second meetings. OSU has not won in Pullman in 13 years. This game is tentatively set for November 28 but, per WSU's official athletic website, is subject to change.

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