The Apple Cup will be played on an irregular date this year: the day after Thanksgiving.
And potentially making matters worse is that kickoff in Pullman is at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 23.
The odd timing is the result of every Pac-12 team agreeing to host, on average, two non-Saturday games every three years to allow the conference to provide the needed number of non-Saturday games to its TV partners.
Translation: The Huskies and Cougars will financially benefit from playing their rivalry game on a Friday.
But the move comes with a high price for fans who are used to the Apple Cup being played on a Saturday, and, until 2007, the one before Thanksgiving, making it easier for Washington State students to attend when the game was played in Pullman.
Considering that WSU is out that week for Thanksgiving break, student attendance is likely to be greatly impacted. Additionally, traditionally snowy conditions across Snoqualmie Pass may adversely affect the ability of fans from both schools to make it out to the Palouse.
In a news release, Pac-12 Enterprises President Gary Stevenson said, "Putting our first schedule together required a lot of flexibility and cooperation from all of our schools."
Both teams have two other non-Saturday games scheduled this season: Washington will play Stanford on Thursday, Sept. 27, and at California on Friday, Nov. 2. Washington State will open the season at BYU on Thursday, Aug. 30, and head to Las Vegas to face UNLV on Friday, Sept. 14.
So, Patch readers, what do you think of the decision to hold the Apple Cup on the Friday after Thanksgiving?
