History: Some Familiar Foes

Provost and Presidents office portraits

Crimson vs. gold., West vs. East., Cougars vs. Vandals.

The rivalry between Idaho and Washington State hold a special place in the heart of many Palouse residents.

Separated by eight miles of farmland, Pullman and Moscow are similar. Both cities revolve around its respective schools and have a strong student community.

Naturally, the proximity gave birth to one of the longest running rivalries in American sports.

The bitter feelings between the two school don’t reach the levels of Idaho and Boise State or Washington and Washington State, there is still little love lost between the neighboring universities.

The rivalry began in 1906. The Vandals paid a visit to then-Washington State College. According to the Washington State website, a crowd of 800 was in attendance for the first game.

By today’s standards, the game was a defensive spectacle. The Cougars outscored the Vandals 28-11 in the first annual meeting.

The Vandals finished the year 3-3. For the Cougars, the win led to a 5-4 finish.

The teams met every season thereafter for 110 years, making it the sixth longest running rivalry in NCAA basketball.

The Cougars lead the series 162-109. The Cougars have the longest win streak with 12 consecutive wins, dating back to the mid-1910s.

Commonly referred to as the oldest rivalry west of the Mississippi, the Battle of the Palouse continues Wednesday in Pullman. The game will be the 272nd meeting between the Vandals and Cougars.

Idaho pulled two consecutive upsets against Washington State in 2014 and 2015. The win at Cowan Spectrum broke several streaks for the Vandals.

Idaho had failed to win back-to-back meetings against the Cougars since 1990. The Vandals also could not protect their home floor, as Washington State won every meeting in Moscow since 2002.

The rivalry stands as the one consistent opponent for the Vandals. Since the “nasty and inebriated” incident with Boise State, the rivalry between the Broncos and the Vandals ceased to exist.

The meetings for the two football programs have become a chance passing between two old acquaintances. The Vandals lost 56-6 Sept. 17 in Pullman.

No matter who comes out on top, the rivalry still stands as one of the most durable in the west, and will continue to bring excitement and enthusiasm to the Palouse for years to come.

Idaho and Washington State tip-off 7 p.m. Wednesday in Pullman.

Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill

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