The Pac‑12 Conference announced on Tuesday that it has finalized kickoff times and television designations for the majority of Washington State’s 2026 football contests, setting the stage for a tightly choreographed season that begins with a marquee matchup against the University of Washington.
Season Opener Details
The opening contest is slated for September 6, when the Cougars will host the Huskies at 1 p.m. on NBC, a slot that places the game in the early afternoon and gives the network a prime early‑season slot.
A week later, on September 12, Washington State travels to face Kansas State, with the contest scheduled for a 9 a.m. PT start on TNT and HBO Max, underscoring the conference’s willingness to experiment with early‑morning kickoffs.
Broadcast Partners and Early Schedule
The home opener against Duquesne follows on September 19 at 12:30 p.m. on USA Network, while a home showdown with Arizona on September 26 will air at 4:30 p.m. on CBS, giving the Cougars a series of high‑visibility slots across multiple networks.
Pac‑12 play opens on October 3 when the Cougars host Fresno State at 6:30 p.m. on USA Network, and the schedule continues with a series of road and home games against Utah State, Oregon State, Boise State, San Diego State and Colorado State, each assigned to specific cable and streaming platforms.
Championship Outlook
While the regular season schedule wraps up with a flexible weekend, the Pac‑12 has hinted at a championship game that could pit the top two teams against each other in a high‑stakes finale, a prospect that adds extra intrigue to the latter half of the schedule.