CougsFirst! plants WSU billboard in Seattle, touting No. 1 study ranking ahead of Apple Cup

Ahead of the 117th Apple Cup game between the Washington State Cougars (WSU) and the University of Washington Huskies (UW), CougsFirst! displayed a billboard in the heart of Seattle to highlight a recent study praising the school.

The WSU billboard drew attention to a Princeton Review study that labeled the school as No. 1 in student satisfaction and among the top schools in the country for its extensive alumni network.

The study surveyed more than 170,000 students nationwide, resulting in WSU placing in the top 10 of several categories, including campus life, facilities, and alumni networks.

WSU displays new billboard in downtown Seattle days before Apple Cup

Seattleites can view the new billboard driving southbound on Highway 99, at the corner of E. Marginal Way and S. Horton Street.

The billboard is visually similar to a graphic Cougfan.com posted to social media, underlining WSU’s scores in the recent Princeton Review study.

WSU ranks No. 1 in country for student satisfaction, and @CougsFirst! lets Seattle know @WSUCougarFB @WSUCougars #GoCougs #Wazzu https://t.co/zlR7gbKRZN

— COUGFANcom (@CougfanCOM) September 15, 2025

“Greater Seattle is home to the single-largest community of WSU alums in the nation, and also the deepest pool of potential students and Cougs that conduct business with each other,” WSU alum Glenn Osterhout told KOMO News. “The billboard works as both a point of pride and a marketing tool.”

CougsFirst! is a WSU business network that encourages University alumni to “think CougsFirst!” for hiring, products, and services. WSU received the No. 7 ranking for Best Alumni Networks in the country, driven by its more than 154,000 alumni solely in Washington.

117th edition of the Boeing Apple Cup at Martin Stadium

The annual Apple Cup game is scheduled to kick off at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at WSU’s Martin Stadium in Pullman.

In the last five meetings between UW and WSU, the Huskies have won three of their last five games v. the Cougars, in 2019, 2022, and 2023. The WSU Cougars won the most recent Apple Cup game by a score of 24-19, held at Lumen Field in 2024.

In August 2023, UW announced its decision to leave the Pacific Athletic Conference (PAC-12), along with nine other teams that joined either the Big Ten or Big 12.

Following the decision to disband the PAC-12, WSU and UW came to an agreement in November 2023 to extend the Apple Cup series for five years, from the 2024 season through 2028.

The inaugural Apple Cup game was played in 1900, which resulted in a 5-5 tie. The 117th Apple Cup will feature a 2-0 UW against a 2-1 WSU.

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