Washington State vs. Idaho: A Brief History of the 'Battle of the Palouse'

It's not all that common to see a true FBS-vs-FCS rivalry, especially between two schools that aren't even in the same state. College football fans in Pullman and Moscow, however, will scoff at that notion.

Their beloved Cougars and Vandals squads know each other all too well (heck, they sit a mere nine miles apart and are separated by only a state line). In fact, Washington State and Idaho go all the way back to the late 1800s and despite not seeing each other annually nor even playing in the same subdivision of college football, there is no love lost between these two in the "Battle of the Palouse".

Before the rivalry gets renewed this year, let's look back at this rich and storied showdown in the Pacific Northwest.

The Cougs and the Vs first met in 1894... back when Washington State was actually known as Washington Agricultural and was beginning their collegiate football journey... and they bested Idaho 10-0; their first ever win on the gridiron. The kicker? They would go on to lose to Spokane High School the following week to end that season 1-1.

Over the years the two teams would go on to meet 91 more times with the Cougars claiming victory in 72 of those games. The Vandals have won just 16 times and there have been three ties. The game itself has seen several venues including Spokane's Joe Albi Stadium and even Seattle's Lumen Field. Oddly enough, though, it has yet to see the walls of the famed Kibbie Dome in Moscow. The last time Idaho welcomed WSU through its doors was in 1966, five years before the dome was built.

Yes, the game is almost always in Pullman these days (as will be the case this year as well). Idaho, save for its 22-year stint in the FBS, plays in the FCS' Big Sky Conference and does not truly have an opportunity to host opponents of Washington State's caliber unless rare and special arrangements are made. The Vandals have also not beaten the Cougars since moving back down a rank and have not won in the series since the 2000 season when they were members of the Big West Conference. Since then they've seen time in the Sun Belt, WAC and as an independent.

In spite of the two programs' very different history and paths, Idaho will come in with a strikingly similar headline as Washington State in 2025; a revamped team with a new coach looking to make a statement right off the jump. Of course Jimmy Rogers is coming into Year One as the Cougs' head man and he's brought a lot of his former South Dakota State talent with him. Idaho, meanwhile, is now headed by first-year head coach Thomas Ford Jr. who had to rebuild a roster that was gutted after Jason Eck left for New Mexico. The Vandals and Cougars will mirror each other in several ways when they clash next month.