September 4, 2026 • 22 mins
Washington Huskies Athletic Director Pat Chun joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the Apple Cup coming up this Sunday, the future of the game and financial implications of it on both sides, the non-conference scheduling for UW in years ahead, the situation with WSU’s band, additions to Husky Stadium this year, and NFL players.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, here we go. On a Friday, it is
the 4th of September, and it is two days before
the Apple Cup. I mean, you've got to get used
to that now, Dick. You've got to get used to
talking Apple Cup before the NFL season even starts, for
crying out loud. And on a Sunday. I cannot think
of a better way to start the radio show than
(00:21):
to be joined by the athletic director at the University
of Washington. Pat Chun joining us right now on the
radio program. Pat, good afternoon. It's Softie. It's Dick. It's KJR.
It's Producer Jackson. How are you, man?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Good afternoon. Good afternoon.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
And I guess the only question before you start pounding
me with your questions is, Sophie, how is your conditioning?
Because you're going to be running up and down that
sideline on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And if we need to.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Have a trainer, extra water, you tell us. I think
the temperature is going to be nice, but we'll be ready.
But I think I need an update on how your
conditioning is going to be for the game.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yes, I've been told that you will be providing the
sideline reporter food that will be delivered from the athletic
director's box to the sideline, by the way. So thank
you for that gesture, by the way. That was very,
very nice of you, man. I appreciate that. Well, there's
a lot to get to. There's a lot to get to.
I'm sure you will. There's a lot to get to
for this game on Sunday, but. You know, look, man,
(01:20):
I mean, let's just start there, right? Because I think
when Dick and I have been talking Apple Cup the
entire week, the biggest conversation that we've had about the game, Pat,
really has nothing to do with the matchup on Sunday.
It's got everything to do with whether or not this
thing is going to continue past this year, past the
current contract through 2028. Why don't you, first of all,
(01:43):
just give us your view, your perspective from, 50,000 feet
on the future of the Apple Cup past the current
contract as it's set up.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Well, when we signed the deal, and obviously I was
on the other side of the signature when that deal
was signed, it was always with.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
The intent to just put it out long enough to
give credit.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Give this chaotic world of college football some time to settle,
which obviously it hasn't. You know, when John Harlow and
I spoke, you know, I guess a couple weeks ago,
maybe even last week, and we've touched base about this. And,
you know, I would say the easiest answer is this.
There is– we fully– have respect of the Apple Cup
(02:27):
and understanding of its importance to the state. There's an
intent to try to continue the game on both sides
of this. There's also a piece that, at least from
our perspective, we just want to see where the CFP
ends and what scheduling criteria looks like.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Because as you know, college football scheduling is not like
the NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
It is not centralized. So you have to work in
advance to get games done down in the future. So
we just have to be very conscientious of what the
criteria for the CFP.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Is going to be, if it's going to expand, and
my assumption it is.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
And then once we have full visibility on that, that'll
dictate what our future schedules look like.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Well, from a Washington State perspective, Pat, one of the
reasons for them to continue the rivalry would be clearly financial.
And you would be the perfect person to ask this
since you sat at the desk at the other school
as well. How much does this game actually financially help
Washington State?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Well, I mean, it, it, I would say probably the, the,
the biggest help would probably be, I don't know what,
I don't have visibility on their TV contract, but my, but,
but as you know, the homeschool owns the TV, right?
So that would be, that would, that would probably be
the biggest advantage relative to that.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
But you're also talking one.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Game every other year at home.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So I don't, I don't know what.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
What, you know, I don't know how that works with
their TV contract, but My assumption would be that. It's
no secret the game didn't perform as well as many
of us thought it would be in Lumen. The Cougs
did return tickets for this game on Sunday, so we
just got those this week. I don't know if the
ticket side of it, because I do know that when
(04:05):
it was in Pullman last year, good, bad, or different
because of the September game, more Huskies were able to
get to Pullman or went out to Pullman for the game.
My assumption is it's going to be more on the
TV side, but It's a little bit the equation to
get there is unique because it's an every-other-year type thing
(04:25):
as it is right now.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Right. Well, Pat Chun is with us on the radio show,
and I guess the other question about the future of
the Apple Cup, can you see any scenario, Pat, where
Sunday's game is the last Apple Cup, or do you
believe that these next two games in 27 and 28
will be played as scheduled?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Well, it's what I said earlier.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
It's not like you can go on the– I can't
go to a tree and just pluck a game the
way non-conference is scheduled in college football. So, yeah, it's
not as simple as that. So I would have– if
that were to happen, I could probably speak on our side.
I don't see a scenario in which the University of
Washington wouldn't fulfill our contractual obligations. Um, and, and, and
(05:10):
really the practicality of that is, I mean, you still
have to replace the game. Uh, and, and that, that
is not an easy equation in college football because games
are signed so far out. I mean, we're working on
games right now and you know, the 2030s, uh, because
we got to try to lock in some powerful opponents.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
You mentioned on the coaches show with Elise on Wednesday
that your schedule may not be in your control in
the future. Can you clarify that a little bit? Do
you mean the one non-conference game not being in your
control because it potentially could be like an SEC crossover game?
Or is it possible that another entity, the Big Ten
or something else, actually dictates all three of your non-conference
(05:47):
games in the future?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
I don't see that scenario, but I guess I would
say I'm hopeful that we can work something out with
the SEC specifically. I know we have Tennessee on the
schedule coming a few years down the road. I know
those matchups, playing big games matters, and I would argue
that Tennessee in our marketplace because of, you know, the
(06:12):
NFL soon, hopefully soon the NBA, NHL, major league baseball,
I mean, discretionary dollars to, to, to, to, you know,
to go to sporting events is, uh, you know, we're
all like competition for, and the reality is, is people
want to see bigger brands, more people, you know, we
are a tourist destination. So there is value in bringing
someone who traditionally doesn't come here because they'll bring a
(06:33):
huge swap of fans. We've seen it in the big
10 because, uh, The fans from our new sister institutions
historically have not come to Seattle, so this is a
tourist destination. I would hope that we could get there someday,
but there's a lot of variables that go into the future.
As you guys know, it's college football. Everything is chaotic.
(06:55):
Who knows what it'll look like down the road, but
I do know that we've just got to let the
dust settle with the college football expansion.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yes. Well, Pat Chun with us, Washington A.D. ahead of
the Apple Cup on Sunday, 9 o'clock pregame, 1 o'clock
kickoff here on KJR. And if I'm looking at our
schedules right, Pat, and if I'm incorrect, please jump in.
You guys have a series with Tennessee starting in 2029
there in Knoxville and then up here in 2030. But
(07:22):
as far as Power 4 opponents, nothing scheduled between now
and then, Do you see that changing for next year
and for 2028 as of right now?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Know on the next two years, but we're working on
that 23rd and beyond right now.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Okay, so just to clarify, so 2027 next year, Fresno,
Portland State, the Apple Cup, 28 Eastern, Washington, UNLV, and
the Apple Cup. Those non-conference games will stay as they're scheduled.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
As of now, you never say never. You don't know
what's going to happen, but I don't foresee changes there.
And we're focused right now, as we're thinking about football scheduling,
our focus has been 23rd and beyond to try to
lock in similar brands, some big brands.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That can help.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
And ultimately, I guess we're making some assumptions that the
CFP is going to expand, so we want to try
to lock in some of these games.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Well, and Pat, as a follow-up, do you think, I mean,
the competition just continues to get better in the Big Ten.
I think we would all agree with that. The games
are just better. The magnitudes of the games continue to grow.
And we will, as you mentioned, potentially have a big
non-conference game once a year. So do you worry that
the other two non-conference home games become more like almost
(08:45):
NFL preseason games? I mean, we saw almost nobody at
the USC game this last week. Do you worry that
that could happen throughout the conference?
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Well, I think it's happening right now because it just
happened with USC and Fresno. I think that's part of
all the conjecture going on in our atmosphere about not
maximizing football schedules. But I also recognize that, you know,
from a Washington perspective, you.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Know, it's.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
In the Pacific Northwest to try to get non-conference games
simply because there isn't an overlap of conferences. The geography
is just very different. If you're in the Midwest or
in the South, there's a density of schools. So, so the,
you know, in power, in power for leagues as well, that,
that it's a little bit easier to try to get
these non-conference games, but you know, improved scheduling does have
(09:37):
an impact on, you know, television ratings. And my assumption
is if we do expand playoffs, I think there's a
big hope and a big assumption that quality of schedule
is going to matter more in a 2014 field because
you're not going to want teams just loading up on wins.
You're going to want them to load up on quality
wins or even quality losses.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Well, Pat Sean, UWAD with us. You want to address
Bandgate while we're here? I mean, I'm just hearing from
all these people. UW didn't want the Cougar marching band
to come to the stadium. We heard that, and then
we heard that they're not coming because they didn't get
good enough free tickets for the game. I mean, what's
(10:17):
your take on Bandgate, man?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Well, if you or your listeners listen really deeply, you
could probably hear the Washington Huskies marching band rehearsing right
outside my window. So I just say that because our
university loves bands and loves college bands, and we love
what they bring to the atmosphere. The reality for us
is we always want visiting bands to be a part
(10:42):
of this. You know, there's a huge tradition around with
the Husky and Cougar marching band. Both bands have been friendly.
Both bands are predominantly Washingtonians. We're disappointed they're not coming.
That was a decision made by Washington State. There's a
(11:04):
long history of bands walking down from our upper deck
to perform at halftime. So Uh, I don't, you know, that, that,
that is not, that is not anything new. And, um,
you know, unless we have to airlift someone, a band,
a whole band somewhere that there is, there is a
mechanism to get.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Down from the upper deck.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
So I, I, I don't know, you know, that that's really, uh, like,
like I've, I've read and heard, uh, obviously we're hearing
it too, but let me make it clear. Like we, we,
we want, we, you know, we definitely wanted the Washington
state band here. Um, we definitely think they, you know, the,
the two bands have a wonderful tradition. Um, the two
bands have worked all, you know, extraordinarily well together through
(11:41):
the years and, you know, for the Apple cup on
national TV, um, you know, it would have been great
to showcase both bands, but we'll, our band will take
advantage of it and, you know, they'll take the stage themselves.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Yeah, you'll get full exposure, no question about it. Pat Jen,
you and Dove AD joining us here on 93.3 KJR FM. Pat,
let's say you guys, the schedule works out and you
can play Wazoo. It works in your schedule in the
long term, but Wazoo just says, we're out. We choose
not to play the Apple Cup anymore. How likely do
you think it would be that they would be able
(12:12):
to secure another tier one non-conference game to keep some
national relevance?
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Um, I, I think I, I, I don't think they
would have a problem. I mean, the, the, I mean,
the it's, it's, uh, it's an excellent brand. It's, it's, it's,
you know, I would assume, you know, I've heard nothing
but great things about their new head coach. You know, he,
you know, he played for coach Peterson, coach, coach Pete,
things really highly of them. Washington state has this unique
(12:45):
history of they're able to sustain winning in spite of.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Changing with, with coaches.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
So, so I, you know, scheduling is, is, It's kind
of a Rubik's Cube the way it's done in college.
The reality is relationships do help in scheduling. So, you know,
schools know a lot of schools and conferences know a
lot of conferences. So it's a small world. But I
(13:10):
don't know if it's an absolute thing where they wouldn't
be able to get a big brand because I just
think that, you know, I think they had Texas Tech
in their stadium either last year or two years ago.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So it's not out of the realm of possibility. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Well, Pat Chun is with us, and it will be
weird to not see the Cougar band on Sunday, but
there will be other things that will be cool and
unique and new. Why don't we just kind of get
maybe a State of the Union from you on some
changes and what will be new at Husky Stadium starting
Sunday at 1 o'clock?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Well, I think on your on your entry, I think
we'll have some enhanced security measures that will actually speed
up entry into the stadium. So we're excited about that.
And then once you go inside our stadium, we have
a brand new turf that was installed this summer. So
that that it's one of those deals. The more we
practice on it now, the better it is. I know
the technology and turf is so is fantastic. has changed
(14:04):
so much that you can actually get on it literally
the day that, that it gets laid down. So that'll
pop for our fans that haven't seen, because obviously the
college will be vibrant.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Probably the thing that caught.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
The most news is, is we're going to, you know,
we've had this, this, our football team has had this,
this tradition of, of doing this day who say what
Chan as they come into the come onto the field. And, and, and,
and this year we would love for our students to
be a part of it. And, I know this thing
goes all the way back to, I think it's Antoine Richardson,
(14:36):
him and his teammates doing this chant. And it's one
of the, I mean, there's so many unique things that
we do here from a football standpoint. I mean, it's
the greatest setting in college football. This chant is so
unique to Washington that, you know, we're going to, we're
going to, we're going to, See how it goes, but
we're going to unveil it on Sunday and we're going
to keep building to it. But knowing our students and
(14:57):
knowing how committed they are, I mean, our student attendance
has been exceptional these last couple of years since I've
been here. And I know, you know, historically it's been
exceptional here. So our students.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Know the deal.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
They know they have to help create a home field
advantage for us. And that's part of the reason why
our record at home has been extraordinary today.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
The last few years and you.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Know hopefully this is just another step in connecting our
students and our team together and maybe the whole stadium
and the team over the course of time.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Well, Pat, correct me if I'm wrong, but the last
time the Huskies had a standalone game where they were
the only football game being played on the planet was
probably the national championship game in Houston a couple of
years ago.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Oh, yeah, probably. Pretty cool opportunity.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Talk about the genesis of it. How did it come
to pass that you got a spot on NBC, the
only game playing in the world?
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, so NBC reached out through the Big Ten and
asked if we would have, they saw the game, they
recognized it's a rivalry game. What they had pitched to
us was they would do a Major League Baseball game,
then us in the, I guess, four o'clock East Coast
window time, and then they would have the primetime game
of Notre Dame, Wisconsin. And then once we talked to
(16:09):
the Big Ten, then they had gotten some intel that
it would be a stand alone game. And then it
just really came down to Jets.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Well, two things.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
It came down to Jets comfort level on a short
week and weighing the pros and cons of having a
short week with, you know, with a tough opponent coming
up in Utah State, but also weighing in the benefits
of being a standalone game on national TV. So once
Jets said, yeah, you know, we think the pros outweigh
the cons with this, then it becomes Washington State's decision.
(16:38):
And they made the decision relatively quick. And That's really
how this got to be a national game. And, you know,
it's the oddity NFL hasn't played yet. We know that this,
this game will rate well. It's a, you know, it's
a huge opportunity because the city will be, you know, the,
the scenes at NBC, the producers are talking about, you know, with,
you know, with, with the water and with our stadium,
(17:00):
it's going to, you know, it's just a night, it's
just going to be a wonderful advertising for the university
of Washington and Seattle, especially with, you know, especially as
we're recruiting students and student athletes and, and, And it's
a good showcase. I mean, you know, we believe we
got a special team this year. We believe we have
a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, a quarterback. And why not
take advantage of the stage while we got it?
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Well, Pat Shun's with us. And, Pat, I'm trying to
think throughout your long career, your long storied career, by
the way, in college athletics.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
You're making me sound old.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Well, no, you just started young. I don't think that
you've ever been sued by your own conference the way
LSU is right now with the SEC.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Do you have any.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Any thoughts, you know, from a personal perspective, professional perspective
on the idea of NFL players getting cut from training camp,
returning to play college football? Where do you stand on that?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Well, it's clear we're watching.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
I stand where we decided as an institution to stand,
and we voted unanimously in the Big Ten to not
allow that to happen in our conference. So, I mean,
we've gotten so, you know, we've taken college sports to
a very, very difficult place where, you know, we spend
(18:20):
more time as an industry with lawyers and in lawsuits
probably more than we do with more important things relative
to our game. We're spending more time lobbying Congress. to
try to help us with rules because simply because we
have the inability to, to set rules. So, um, you know,
with this specific issue, um, we, you know, at Washington.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
We, we don't agree.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
We don't agree with having, uh, you know, former, you know,
NFL players that have been in training camp that have
been cut, uh, that try to go pro to come
back to college.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
That's really not the purpose of college.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
And, you know, I, you know, we've made it really
hard as an industry for high school kids to come
play college sports now, um, I mean, it's, it's, it's,
you know, what, what has happened over the last couple
of years is, you know, every, every team knows that
you have to, you have the older teams, you know,
the more experienced teams, the older teams have an advantage.
I mean, you got 24, 25, maybe 26 year olds
(19:10):
playing 18, 18, 19 year olds. I mean, you know,
what we've done to what we've, we've turned this sport
upside down. And I think this is another line in
the sand that, man, if we allow this to happen,
you know, we're going to keep, keep, you know, we're
going to take this place eventually to a place we're
never going to be able to come back from.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
And we may be close to that right now.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Anyways, Pat, you mentioned the NFL, not starting yet. You've
got this weekend all to yourself. We had John Wilner
on his weekly segment with us. And he says he'd
like to see college football start like the third week
of August. where you have multiple weeks before the NFL starts,
and then you're done on Thanksgiving, and then you get
the playoffs before the NFL. NFL playoffs. Would you be
(19:52):
in favor of that plan?
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Well, I would be in favor because we're in the
Pacific Northwest and the weather would be great. But I
know there's other parts of this country that it's hot
and humid and having I don't I don't I don't
know if.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
It's the smartest thing to do in other parts of
the country.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
You know, I may be a little bit old school
for me. Let me rephrase it. I'd have to see
what it looks like. I think it also matters to
the quality of games. Like it's one thing to have,
I mean, how many weeks you're like, tell me like
we had week zero. Can either of you tell me
one matchup that you that one game?
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Yeah. You don't.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
I can tell you.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
That was a state USC. There were more people on
the show than there were in the same game.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
So, so you're talking about, uh, how, you know, poor
one game performed attendance wise. And you're talking about North
Carolina because it's a circus and there's drama around North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
But it's not because of the football.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
So I think there's a couple of things like, like
I'd be in favor. Let me, let me start here.
I'd be in favor of anything that, that that's better
for college football, but there's a lot, but there would
have to be, um, you know, there'd have to be
something that happens with scheduling. Maybe if we expand the
playoffs or, Uh, that's one thing I, you know, I'm
old enough and you guys were old enough for college
football used to end, you know, the weekend before Thanksgiving.
(21:08):
I mean, there was a time and a place where, uh, where,
where that, where that happened. And, um, you know, I
think it allows us to maximize the calendar, but, um,
you know, I, I would actually start here. I am
firmly in the camp and I know coach fishes as well,
that we need to look at the totality of 12
months in and around college football. Like we keep making these,
(21:29):
these one-off decisions and don't act like they're not tied
to each other. So I would say, uh, I, we would,
I would welcome the discussion, but I think we need
to look at the totality of 12 months and see
how that goes relative to, to, to football, to the
game schedule, signing day, portal dates, uh, OTAs slash spring game,
all those things, academics, all those things have to be
(21:52):
woven into a 12-month calendar, and then I could give
you an educated answer on that.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Gotcha. All right, well, listen, we appreciate you doing this.
I'm sure we'll bump into you Sunday. I am personally
looking forward to the brand-new Sideline Reporter Buffet that you'll
be providing us. On Sunday. So thank you for that.
And we will catch you Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
No tank tops, please. No tank tops, please, on the sideline.
We have a dress code.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
How about flip flops? Flip flops okay?
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Flip flops all right? If you can run a flip flop,
that's all you.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
But nobody wants to see those arms. So I would
just say flip flops.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Jeez, man, I've been working out. Holy cow. All right, Pat,
we'll see you Sunday.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Thanks. Thanks, Pat. All right, thanks for the time, guys.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
See you Sunday.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
All right, Pat, Sean, we're going to break. You want
to win some Apple Cup tickets? We'll tell you how
you can do that coming up next.
All right, here we go. On a Friday, it is
the 4th of September, and it is two days before
the Apple Cup. I mean, you've got to get used
to that now, Dick. You've got to get used to
talking Apple Cup before the NFL season even starts, for
crying out loud. And on a Sunday. I cannot think
of a better way to start the radio show than
(00:21):
to be joined by the athletic director at the University
of Washington. Pat Chun joining us right now on the
radio program. Pat, good afternoon. It's Softie. It's Dick. It's KJR.
It's Producer Jackson. How are you, man?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Good afternoon. Good afternoon.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
And I guess the only question before you start pounding
me with your questions is, Sophie, how is your conditioning?
Because you're going to be running up and down that
sideline on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And if we need to.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Have a trainer, extra water, you tell us. I think
the temperature is going to be nice, but we'll be ready.
But I think I need an update on how your
conditioning is going to be for the game.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Yes, I've been told that you will be providing the
sideline reporter food that will be delivered from the athletic
director's box to the sideline, by the way. So thank
you for that gesture, by the way. That was very,
very nice of you, man. I appreciate that. Well, there's
a lot to get to. There's a lot to get to.
I'm sure you will. There's a lot to get to
for this game on Sunday, but. You know, look, man,
(01:20):
I mean, let's just start there, right? Because I think
when Dick and I have been talking Apple Cup the
entire week, the biggest conversation that we've had about the game, Pat,
really has nothing to do with the matchup on Sunday.
It's got everything to do with whether or not this
thing is going to continue past this year, past the
current contract through 2028. Why don't you, first of all,
(01:43):
just give us your view, your perspective from, 50,000 feet
on the future of the Apple Cup past the current
contract as it's set up.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Well, when we signed the deal, and obviously I was
on the other side of the signature when that deal
was signed, it was always with.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
The intent to just put it out long enough to
give credit.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Give this chaotic world of college football some time to settle,
which obviously it hasn't. You know, when John Harlow and
I spoke, you know, I guess a couple weeks ago,
maybe even last week, and we've touched base about this. And,
you know, I would say the easiest answer is this.
There is– we fully– have respect of the Apple Cup
(02:27):
and understanding of its importance to the state. There's an
intent to try to continue the game on both sides
of this. There's also a piece that, at least from
our perspective, we just want to see where the CFP
ends and what scheduling criteria looks like.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Because as you know, college football scheduling is not like
the NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
It is not centralized. So you have to work in
advance to get games done down in the future. So
we just have to be very conscientious of what the
criteria for the CFP.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Is going to be, if it's going to expand, and
my assumption it is.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
And then once we have full visibility on that, that'll
dictate what our future schedules look like.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Well, from a Washington State perspective, Pat, one of the
reasons for them to continue the rivalry would be clearly financial.
And you would be the perfect person to ask this
since you sat at the desk at the other school
as well. How much does this game actually financially help
Washington State?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Well, I mean, it, it, I would say probably the, the,
the biggest help would probably be, I don't know what,
I don't have visibility on their TV contract, but my, but,
but as you know, the homeschool owns the TV, right?
So that would be, that would, that would probably be
the biggest advantage relative to that.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
But you're also talking one.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Game every other year at home.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
So I don't, I don't know what.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
What, you know, I don't know how that works with
their TV contract, but My assumption would be that. It's
no secret the game didn't perform as well as many
of us thought it would be in Lumen. The Cougs
did return tickets for this game on Sunday, so we
just got those this week. I don't know if the
ticket side of it, because I do know that when
(04:05):
it was in Pullman last year, good, bad, or different
because of the September game, more Huskies were able to
get to Pullman or went out to Pullman for the game.
My assumption is it's going to be more on the
TV side, but It's a little bit the equation to
get there is unique because it's an every-other-year type thing
(04:25):
as it is right now.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
Right. Well, Pat Chun is with us on the radio show,
and I guess the other question about the future of
the Apple Cup, can you see any scenario, Pat, where
Sunday's game is the last Apple Cup, or do you
believe that these next two games in 27 and 28
will be played as scheduled?
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Well, it's what I said earlier.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
It's not like you can go on the– I can't
go to a tree and just pluck a game the
way non-conference is scheduled in college football. So, yeah, it's
not as simple as that. So I would have– if
that were to happen, I could probably speak on our side.
I don't see a scenario in which the University of
Washington wouldn't fulfill our contractual obligations. Um, and, and, and
(05:10):
really the practicality of that is, I mean, you still
have to replace the game. Uh, and, and that, that
is not an easy equation in college football because games
are signed so far out. I mean, we're working on
games right now and you know, the 2030s, uh, because
we got to try to lock in some powerful opponents.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
You mentioned on the coaches show with Elise on Wednesday
that your schedule may not be in your control in
the future. Can you clarify that a little bit? Do
you mean the one non-conference game not being in your
control because it potentially could be like an SEC crossover game?
Or is it possible that another entity, the Big Ten
or something else, actually dictates all three of your non-conference
(05:47):
games in the future?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
I don't see that scenario, but I guess I would
say I'm hopeful that we can work something out with
the SEC specifically. I know we have Tennessee on the
schedule coming a few years down the road. I know
those matchups, playing big games matters, and I would argue
that Tennessee in our marketplace because of, you know, the
(06:12):
NFL soon, hopefully soon the NBA, NHL, major league baseball,
I mean, discretionary dollars to, to, to, to, you know,
to go to sporting events is, uh, you know, we're
all like competition for, and the reality is, is people
want to see bigger brands, more people, you know, we
are a tourist destination. So there is value in bringing
someone who traditionally doesn't come here because they'll bring a
(06:33):
huge swap of fans. We've seen it in the big
10 because, uh, The fans from our new sister institutions
historically have not come to Seattle, so this is a
tourist destination. I would hope that we could get there someday,
but there's a lot of variables that go into the future.
As you guys know, it's college football. Everything is chaotic.
(06:55):
Who knows what it'll look like down the road, but
I do know that we've just got to let the
dust settle with the college football expansion.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yes. Well, Pat Chun with us, Washington A.D. ahead of
the Apple Cup on Sunday, 9 o'clock pregame, 1 o'clock
kickoff here on KJR. And if I'm looking at our
schedules right, Pat, and if I'm incorrect, please jump in.
You guys have a series with Tennessee starting in 2029
there in Knoxville and then up here in 2030. But
(07:22):
as far as Power 4 opponents, nothing scheduled between now
and then, Do you see that changing for next year
and for 2028 as of right now?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Know on the next two years, but we're working on
that 23rd and beyond right now.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Okay, so just to clarify, so 2027 next year, Fresno,
Portland State, the Apple Cup, 28 Eastern, Washington, UNLV, and
the Apple Cup. Those non-conference games will stay as they're scheduled.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
As of now, you never say never. You don't know
what's going to happen, but I don't foresee changes there.
And we're focused right now, as we're thinking about football scheduling,
our focus has been 23rd and beyond to try to
lock in similar brands, some big brands.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That can help.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
And ultimately, I guess we're making some assumptions that the
CFP is going to expand, so we want to try
to lock in some of these games.
Speaker 4 (08:24):
Well, and Pat, as a follow-up, do you think, I mean,
the competition just continues to get better in the Big Ten.
I think we would all agree with that. The games
are just better. The magnitudes of the games continue to grow.
And we will, as you mentioned, potentially have a big
non-conference game once a year. So do you worry that
the other two non-conference home games become more like almost
(08:45):
NFL preseason games? I mean, we saw almost nobody at
the USC game this last week. Do you worry that
that could happen throughout the conference?
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Well, I think it's happening right now because it just
happened with USC and Fresno. I think that's part of
all the conjecture going on in our atmosphere about not
maximizing football schedules. But I also recognize that, you know,
from a Washington perspective, you.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Know, it's.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
In the Pacific Northwest to try to get non-conference games
simply because there isn't an overlap of conferences. The geography
is just very different. If you're in the Midwest or
in the South, there's a density of schools. So, so the,
you know, in power, in power for leagues as well, that,
that it's a little bit easier to try to get
these non-conference games, but you know, improved scheduling does have
(09:37):
an impact on, you know, television ratings. And my assumption
is if we do expand playoffs, I think there's a
big hope and a big assumption that quality of schedule
is going to matter more in a 2014 field because
you're not going to want teams just loading up on wins.
You're going to want them to load up on quality
wins or even quality losses.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Well, Pat Sean, UWAD with us. You want to address
Bandgate while we're here? I mean, I'm just hearing from
all these people. UW didn't want the Cougar marching band
to come to the stadium. We heard that, and then
we heard that they're not coming because they didn't get
good enough free tickets for the game. I mean, what's
(10:17):
your take on Bandgate, man?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Well, if you or your listeners listen really deeply, you
could probably hear the Washington Huskies marching band rehearsing right
outside my window. So I just say that because our
university loves bands and loves college bands, and we love
what they bring to the atmosphere. The reality for us
is we always want visiting bands to be a part
(10:42):
of this. You know, there's a huge tradition around with
the Husky and Cougar marching band. Both bands have been friendly.
Both bands are predominantly Washingtonians. We're disappointed they're not coming.
That was a decision made by Washington State. There's a
(11:04):
long history of bands walking down from our upper deck
to perform at halftime. So Uh, I don't, you know, that, that,
that is not, that is not anything new. And, um,
you know, unless we have to airlift someone, a band,
a whole band somewhere that there is, there is a
mechanism to get.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Down from the upper deck.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
So I, I, I don't know, you know, that that's really, uh, like,
like I've, I've read and heard, uh, obviously we're hearing
it too, but let me make it clear. Like we, we,
we want, we, you know, we definitely wanted the Washington
state band here. Um, we definitely think they, you know, the,
the two bands have a wonderful tradition. Um, the two
bands have worked all, you know, extraordinarily well together through
(11:41):
the years and, you know, for the Apple cup on
national TV, um, you know, it would have been great
to showcase both bands, but we'll, our band will take
advantage of it and, you know, they'll take the stage themselves.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
Yeah, you'll get full exposure, no question about it. Pat Jen,
you and Dove AD joining us here on 93.3 KJR FM. Pat,
let's say you guys, the schedule works out and you
can play Wazoo. It works in your schedule in the
long term, but Wazoo just says, we're out. We choose
not to play the Apple Cup anymore. How likely do
you think it would be that they would be able
(12:12):
to secure another tier one non-conference game to keep some
national relevance?
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Um, I, I think I, I, I don't think they
would have a problem. I mean, the, the, I mean,
the it's, it's, uh, it's an excellent brand. It's, it's, it's,
you know, I would assume, you know, I've heard nothing
but great things about their new head coach. You know, he,
you know, he played for coach Peterson, coach, coach Pete,
things really highly of them. Washington state has this unique
(12:45):
history of they're able to sustain winning in spite of.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Changing with, with coaches.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
So, so I, you know, scheduling is, is, It's kind
of a Rubik's Cube the way it's done in college.
The reality is relationships do help in scheduling. So, you know,
schools know a lot of schools and conferences know a
lot of conferences. So it's a small world. But I
(13:10):
don't know if it's an absolute thing where they wouldn't
be able to get a big brand because I just
think that, you know, I think they had Texas Tech
in their stadium either last year or two years ago.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
So it's not out of the realm of possibility. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Well, Pat Chun is with us, and it will be
weird to not see the Cougar band on Sunday, but
there will be other things that will be cool and
unique and new. Why don't we just kind of get
maybe a State of the Union from you on some
changes and what will be new at Husky Stadium starting
Sunday at 1 o'clock?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Well, I think on your on your entry, I think
we'll have some enhanced security measures that will actually speed
up entry into the stadium. So we're excited about that.
And then once you go inside our stadium, we have
a brand new turf that was installed this summer. So
that that it's one of those deals. The more we
practice on it now, the better it is. I know
the technology and turf is so is fantastic. has changed
(14:04):
so much that you can actually get on it literally
the day that, that it gets laid down. So that'll
pop for our fans that haven't seen, because obviously the
college will be vibrant.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Probably the thing that caught.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
The most news is, is we're going to, you know,
we've had this, this, our football team has had this,
this tradition of, of doing this day who say what
Chan as they come into the come onto the field. And, and, and,
and this year we would love for our students to
be a part of it. And, I know this thing
goes all the way back to, I think it's Antoine Richardson,
(14:36):
him and his teammates doing this chant. And it's one
of the, I mean, there's so many unique things that
we do here from a football standpoint. I mean, it's
the greatest setting in college football. This chant is so
unique to Washington that, you know, we're going to, we're
going to, we're going to, See how it goes, but
we're going to unveil it on Sunday and we're going
to keep building to it. But knowing our students and
(14:57):
knowing how committed they are, I mean, our student attendance
has been exceptional these last couple of years since I've
been here. And I know, you know, historically it's been
exceptional here. So our students.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Know the deal.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
They know they have to help create a home field
advantage for us. And that's part of the reason why
our record at home has been extraordinary today.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
The last few years and you.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Know hopefully this is just another step in connecting our
students and our team together and maybe the whole stadium
and the team over the course of time.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
Well, Pat, correct me if I'm wrong, but the last
time the Huskies had a standalone game where they were
the only football game being played on the planet was
probably the national championship game in Houston a couple of
years ago.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Oh, yeah, probably. Pretty cool opportunity.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
Talk about the genesis of it. How did it come
to pass that you got a spot on NBC, the
only game playing in the world?
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, so NBC reached out through the Big Ten and
asked if we would have, they saw the game, they
recognized it's a rivalry game. What they had pitched to
us was they would do a Major League Baseball game,
then us in the, I guess, four o'clock East Coast
window time, and then they would have the primetime game
of Notre Dame, Wisconsin. And then once we talked to
(16:09):
the Big Ten, then they had gotten some intel that
it would be a stand alone game. And then it
just really came down to Jets.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Well, two things.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
It came down to Jets comfort level on a short
week and weighing the pros and cons of having a
short week with, you know, with a tough opponent coming
up in Utah State, but also weighing in the benefits
of being a standalone game on national TV. So once
Jets said, yeah, you know, we think the pros outweigh
the cons with this, then it becomes Washington State's decision.
(16:38):
And they made the decision relatively quick. And That's really
how this got to be a national game. And, you know,
it's the oddity NFL hasn't played yet. We know that this,
this game will rate well. It's a, you know, it's
a huge opportunity because the city will be, you know, the,
the scenes at NBC, the producers are talking about, you know, with,
you know, with, with the water and with our stadium,
(17:00):
it's going to, you know, it's just a night, it's
just going to be a wonderful advertising for the university
of Washington and Seattle, especially with, you know, especially as
we're recruiting students and student athletes and, and, And it's
a good showcase. I mean, you know, we believe we
got a special team this year. We believe we have
a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, a quarterback. And why not
take advantage of the stage while we got it?
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Well, Pat Shun's with us. And, Pat, I'm trying to
think throughout your long career, your long storied career, by
the way, in college athletics.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
You're making me sound old.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Well, no, you just started young. I don't think that
you've ever been sued by your own conference the way
LSU is right now with the SEC.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Do you have any.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Any thoughts, you know, from a personal perspective, professional perspective
on the idea of NFL players getting cut from training camp,
returning to play college football? Where do you stand on that?
Speaker 2 (17:57):
Well, it's clear we're watching.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
I stand where we decided as an institution to stand,
and we voted unanimously in the Big Ten to not
allow that to happen in our conference. So, I mean,
we've gotten so, you know, we've taken college sports to
a very, very difficult place where, you know, we spend
(18:20):
more time as an industry with lawyers and in lawsuits
probably more than we do with more important things relative
to our game. We're spending more time lobbying Congress. to
try to help us with rules because simply because we
have the inability to, to set rules. So, um, you know,
with this specific issue, um, we, you know, at Washington.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
We, we don't agree.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
We don't agree with having, uh, you know, former, you know,
NFL players that have been in training camp that have
been cut, uh, that try to go pro to come
back to college.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
That's really not the purpose of college.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
And, you know, I, you know, we've made it really
hard as an industry for high school kids to come
play college sports now, um, I mean, it's, it's, it's,
you know, what, what has happened over the last couple
of years is, you know, every, every team knows that
you have to, you have the older teams, you know,
the more experienced teams, the older teams have an advantage.
I mean, you got 24, 25, maybe 26 year olds
(19:10):
playing 18, 18, 19 year olds. I mean, you know,
what we've done to what we've, we've turned this sport
upside down. And I think this is another line in
the sand that, man, if we allow this to happen,
you know, we're going to keep, keep, you know, we're
going to take this place eventually to a place we're
never going to be able to come back from.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
And we may be close to that right now.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
Anyways, Pat, you mentioned the NFL, not starting yet. You've
got this weekend all to yourself. We had John Wilner
on his weekly segment with us. And he says he'd
like to see college football start like the third week
of August. where you have multiple weeks before the NFL starts,
and then you're done on Thanksgiving, and then you get
the playoffs before the NFL. NFL playoffs. Would you be
(19:52):
in favor of that plan?
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Well, I would be in favor because we're in the
Pacific Northwest and the weather would be great. But I
know there's other parts of this country that it's hot
and humid and having I don't I don't I don't
know if.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
It's the smartest thing to do in other parts of
the country.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
You know, I may be a little bit old school
for me. Let me rephrase it. I'd have to see
what it looks like. I think it also matters to
the quality of games. Like it's one thing to have,
I mean, how many weeks you're like, tell me like
we had week zero. Can either of you tell me
one matchup that you that one game?
Speaker 2 (20:25):
Yeah. You don't.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
I can tell you.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
That was a state USC. There were more people on
the show than there were in the same game.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
So, so you're talking about, uh, how, you know, poor
one game performed attendance wise. And you're talking about North
Carolina because it's a circus and there's drama around North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
But it's not because of the football.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
So I think there's a couple of things like, like
I'd be in favor. Let me, let me start here.
I'd be in favor of anything that, that that's better
for college football, but there's a lot, but there would
have to be, um, you know, there'd have to be
something that happens with scheduling. Maybe if we expand the
playoffs or, Uh, that's one thing I, you know, I'm
old enough and you guys were old enough for college
football used to end, you know, the weekend before Thanksgiving.
(21:08):
I mean, there was a time and a place where, uh, where,
where that, where that happened. And, um, you know, I
think it allows us to maximize the calendar, but, um,
you know, I, I would actually start here. I am
firmly in the camp and I know coach fishes as well,
that we need to look at the totality of 12
months in and around college football. Like we keep making these,
(21:29):
these one-off decisions and don't act like they're not tied
to each other. So I would say, uh, I, we would,
I would welcome the discussion, but I think we need
to look at the totality of 12 months and see
how that goes relative to, to, to football, to the
game schedule, signing day, portal dates, uh, OTAs slash spring game,
all those things, academics, all those things have to be
(21:52):
woven into a 12-month calendar, and then I could give
you an educated answer on that.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Gotcha. All right, well, listen, we appreciate you doing this.
I'm sure we'll bump into you Sunday. I am personally
looking forward to the brand-new Sideline Reporter Buffet that you'll
be providing us. On Sunday. So thank you for that.
And we will catch you Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
No tank tops, please. No tank tops, please, on the sideline.
We have a dress code.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
How about flip flops? Flip flops okay?
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Flip flops all right? If you can run a flip flop,
that's all you.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
But nobody wants to see those arms. So I would
just say flip flops.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
Jeez, man, I've been working out. Holy cow. All right, Pat,
we'll see you Sunday.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Thanks. Thanks, Pat. All right, thanks for the time, guys.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
See you Sunday.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
All right, Pat, Sean, we're going to break. You want
to win some Apple Cup tickets? We'll tell you how
you can do that coming up next.
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