According to a report from The Spokesman Review’s Greg Woods, the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars will not play their annual Apple Cup rivalry on the hardwood.
It’s the first time since 1917 that the two teams won’t meet in the regular season after the Huskies moved from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten following the end of the 2023-24 season; instead, the in-state rivals will play an exhibition game in Seattle at some point this fall.
The Huskies currently lead the series 189-111, and have won the last three matchups against the Cougars, most recently an 81-69 victory in Pullman.
WSU and UW will not play each other in men’s basketball this upcoming season, per source. Wazzu wanted to play, I’m told, but instead they will play an exhibition in Seattle.
Cougars and Huskies had played each other every year since 1917, one of the country’s longest series.
— Greg Woods (@GregWWoods) July 24, 2026
In that contest, the Huskies were led by freshman forward Hannes Steinbach, who posted 14 points and 13 rebounds as part of a stellar season that saw him selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 14 overall pick in June’s NBA draft, while sophomore guard Wesley Yates added 26 points and 7 rebounds in the win.
Coach Danny Sprinkle, who grew up a Husky after being born in Pullman because his late father, Bill, played defensive back for Washington in the 1960s, is undefeated in his two games against the Cougars and will have to wait at least another year for an opportunity to earn another win over WSU.
Sprinkle and the Huskies haven’t finalized their entire non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season just yet, with a December matchup with Baylor in Seattle and a trip to the Maui Invitational in Hawaii on the docket.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Apple Cup reportedly off for 2026-27 men’s basketball season
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