WSU coach suggests retiring Apple Cup trophy, keeping it in Pullman
Sep 14, 2024, 5:57 PM | Updated: Sep 15, 2024, 9:38 am
Head coach Jake Dickert of the WSU Cougars lifts the Apple Cup trophy on Sept 14, 2024. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
(Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
SEATTLE – After knocking off the rival UW Huskies in the annual Apple Cup rivalry clash, WSU Cougars head coach Jake Dickert had an interesting suggestion in his postgame press conference.
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The fourth-year WSU football leader thinks it’s time to retire the current version of the rivalry trophy and keep it in Pullman.
“I think we might retire this trophy,” Dickert quipped after the Cougs’ 24-19 victory Saturday at Lumen Field. “I think it’s a Pac-12 trophy. I think that might stay in our place for a long time. We’ll bring a new one next year (for) the Big Ten (and) Pac-12. We’ll put the new score on it.
“So, we might retire this one and the Pac-12 trophy can stay in Pullman.”
Was Dickert serious? It may have just been a tongue-in-cheek response. But what was undoubtedly serious was how big of a win this was for the 3-0 WSU football program.
After a year filled with turmoil following the downfall of the Pac-12, which included rival UW bolting with three others for the Big Ten, WSU and Oregon State have been trying to pick up the pieces and reassemble some form of the conference. That fight is starting to trend in a positive direction after the news announced earlier this week that four schools from the Mountain West – Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State – will be joining the league in 2026.
More good news for the Cougars: They’ve won two of the past four Apple Cups – something the program hasn’t done since winning four of five from 2004-08.
“This is 1B. It’s 1A and 1B ,” Dickert said of where his two victories in the rivalry series rank in his career. “… The best thing I said to these guys after in the locker room is that now that this is Week 3, this isn’t the end of the season. Normally you’re talking about getting ready for a bowl game and whatever else (after the Apple Cup), but we’re just getting started.”
