This week’s Apple Cup rivalry game between Washington and Washington State will not be played, the Pac-12 announced Sunday.
The decision comes two days after WSU had to cancel Saturday’s game against Stanford because it did not meet the 53-scholarship player threshold needed to play as a result of players in quarantine and isolation protocols related to COVID-19.
“As we work through the remainder of our schedule, we will continue to communicate with the Pac-12 Conference and UW if any scenario would emerge that would allow us to reschedule the game at a later point in the season,” WSU athletic director Pat Chun said in a statement.
“This is so disappointing for our players, coaches and staff, as well as Husky Nation as we were all looking forward to the Boeing Apple Cup this week,” Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen said in a statement. “This is one of the best rivalries in college sports and every year we circle this game at the start of the season. We will work with Pac-12 to prioritize this game and look into any opportunities to play it should there be an open date for both schools down the road. … We want to provide an opportunity for our football program to compete this weekend and are working to find another opponent.”
Washington has reached out to BYU about playing a replacement game this week, but the eighth-ranked Cougars have so far resisted, sources told ESPN.
If neither team qualifies for the conference championship game, it is expected that the Pac-12 will try to arrange the Apple Cup for the weekend of Dec. 18-19.
Without an opponent this week, Washington, which had its season opener against Cal canceled, will attempt to find a replacement team to play. The Pac-12 announced this week it will allow nonconference games, reversing a policy set earlier in the year.