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Battle of the Palouse
History
Number of meetings:	91
First:	May 20, 1894
Most recent:	September 15, 2007
Next:	TBD
All-time series:	WSU leads 70-18-3 (.786)
At Pullman:	WSU leads 38-10-3 (.745)
At Moscow:	WSU leads 28-8-0 (.777)
At Spokane:	WSU leads 3-0-0 (1.000)
At Seattle:	WSU leads 1-0-0 (1.000)
Current Streak:	7 (2001–2007, WSU)
Washington State:	21 (1928-42 & 1945-49)
Idaho:	3 (1903–05, 1923–25)

The Battle of the Palouse is an American college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 rivalry

College rivalry

Pairs of schools, colleges and universities, especially when they are close to each other either geographically or in their areas of specialization, often establish a college rivalry with each other over the years. This rivalry can extend to both academics and athletics, the latter being typically...

 between the Washington State University

Washington State University

Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...

 (WSU) Cougars

Washington State Cougars football

The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...

 and the University of Idaho

University of Idaho

The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...

 (UI) Vandals

Idaho Vandals

The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Idaho. They participate in NCAA Division I - FBS in the Western Athletic Conference ....

. The name of the rivalry is derived from the "Palouse

Palouse

The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...

", the rolling agricultural region in which both schools are located. The two land-grant

Land-grant university

Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....

 universities are less than eight miles (13 km) apart, with Idaho's campus located in Moscow

Moscow, Idaho

Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...

, directly on the Washington-Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

 border, and Washignton State's campus directly west in Pullman

Pullman, Washington

Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...

.

Series history

The first rivalry game was played in 1894

1894 in sports

-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Penn Quakers, and Yale Bulldogs Events* The 1894 Harvard–Yale game, known as the "Hampden Park Blood Bath", results in crippling injuries for four players; the contest is suspended until 1897. The annual Army–Navy...

 and resulted in a win for Idaho. Through 2007

2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...

, WSU has dominated the rivalry, holding an overall record of 70-18-3 (.786), and 55-5-2 (.903) since 1926. The longest winning streak for Idaho was three games (1923

1923 in sports

-American football:NFL championship* Canton BulldogsCollege championship* College football national championship – California Golden Bears, Cornell Big Red, Illinois Fighting Illini and Michigan Wolverines -Association football:England...

-25

1925 in sports

-American football:NFL championship* Chicago Cardinals win a controversial National Football League title.* Five new teams join the NFL: New York Giants, Detroit Panthers, Providence Steam Roller, a new Canton Bulldogs team and the Pottsville Maroons....

), and has only five victories since that three-peat (1954, 1964, 1965, 1999, & 2000), and two ties (1927, 1950), to offset the 55 losses (.097).

The games were skipped in 1969 & 1971. The rivalry became increasingly one-sided as WSU dominated in the 1970s (except for 1974) and the original series ended, following the 1978 game. From 1979-97 the game was played just twice (1982, 1989) until the 10 year renewal from 1998-2007. Since their last win in 2000, Idaho has been physically outmatched in most of the seven games; the game was not played in 2008

2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...

 or 2009

2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...

.

As two schools are less than eight miles apart, there was once a tradition called The Loser’s Walk, where students of the losing school would walk from the winner's campus back to their own. In 1954

1954 in sports

1954 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 56-10 over the Detroit Lions* Ohio State Buckeyes - college football champions.-Artistic gymnastics:* 1954 World Championships...

, the walk made national news when about 2,000 students from Washington State College made the trek west from Moscow to Pullman after the Cougars lost to Idaho for the first time in 29 years.

College Comparison

Category	Washington State	Idaho
Location	Pullman Pullman, Washington Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...	Moscow Moscow, Idaho Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
Abbreviation	WSU Washington State University Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...	UI University of Idaho The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
Team Name	Cougars Washington State Cougars The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...	Vandals Idaho Vandals The Idaho Vandals are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Idaho. They participate in NCAA Division I - FBS in the Western Athletic Conference ....
Students	23,225	11,251
School Colors	Crimson Crimson Crimson is a strong, bright, deep red color. It is originally the color of the dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now also used as a generic term for those slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose; besides crimson itself, these colors include...  & Grey Grey Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...	Silver Silver Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...  & Gold Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
Mascot	Butch T. Cougar Butch T. Cougar Butch T. Cougar is the mascot of Washington State University. As his name indicates, Butch is a cougar.-History:Though the cougar was adopted as Washington State University's mascot in 1919 it was not until 1927 when a cougar cub was presented to the student body of Washington State that Butch T....	Joe Vandal
Conference	Pac-12	WAC Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
Home Field	Martin Stadium Martin Stadium Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pullman, Washington, United States, on the campus of Washington State University. It is the home field of the Washington State Cougars of the Pacific-12 Conference, and is the smallest football stadium in the conference...	Kibbie Dome Kibbie Dome The William H. Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center is a multi-purpose indoor athletic stadium in Moscow, Idaho, on the campus of the University of Idaho...

Between 1969

1969 in sports

1969 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall champion: Karl Schranz, Austria** Women's overall champion: Gertrud Gabl, Austria-American football:...

 and 1970

1970 in sports

1970 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion – Karl Schranz, Austria** Women's overall season champion – Michèle Jacot, France-American football:...

, both schools’ wooden stadiums (UI’s Neale Stadium

Neale Stadium

Neale Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium in Moscow, Idaho, on the west end of the campus of the University of Idaho. Opened in 1937 for college football , it was used for over three decades, through the 1968 season...

 and WSU’s Rogers Field

Rogers Field (Washington State)

Rogers Field was an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It was the home venue of the WSU Cougars football and track teams until severely damaged by a fire in April 1970...

) burned down due to suspected arson

Arson

Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...

. In 1970, the WSU-UI game was dubbed the Displaced Bowl, which was held in Joe Albi Stadium

Joe Albi Stadium

Joe Albi Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Spokane, Washington. Primarily used for football, it is located in the northwest part of the city, just east of the Spokane River. It opened in 1950 as "Memorial Stadium," with a natural grass field, cinder running track, and a seating capacity of...

 in Spokane

Spokane, Washington

Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...

 on September 19. The WSU Cougars won the game (their only win that season), as well as the next ten against the Vandals.

In 1978

1978 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first season of Division I-A football; Division I-A was created in 1978 from the splitting of Division I for football only. The season came down to a rare #1 vs. #2 post-season meeting as #1 Penn State and #2 Alabama met in the New Year's Day Sugar...

 the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 split Division I football in two: Division I-A (now FBS) and Division I-AA (now FCS). Washington State joined Division I-A as part of the Pacific-10 Conference and Idaho joined Division I-AA as part of the Big Sky Conference

Big Sky Conference

The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...

. During the years they were in different divisions, the schools met only twice (1982

1982 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Paul "Bear" Bryant retire as head coach at Alabama with 323 career victories in 38 seasons.The Penn State Nittany Lions won their first consensus national championship, closing out an 11-1 season by defeating Georgia and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel...

 in Spokane and 1989

1989 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its third National Championship during the 80s, cementing its claim as the decade's top team, winning more titles than any other program....

 in Pullman). In 1996

1996 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....

, Idaho moved back up to Division I-A, joining the Big West Conference

Big West Conference

The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...

, and UI and WSU rekindled their century-old rivalry. Since the rivalry was reinstated in 1998

1998 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL...

, every game has been played at Martin Stadium

Martin Stadium

Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pullman, Washington, United States, on the campus of Washington State University. It is the home field of the Washington State Cougars of the Pacific-12 Conference, and is the smallest football stadium in the conference...

 in Pullman, except for the matchup in 2003

2003 NCAA Division I-A football season

The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....

, which was played at Seattle’s Seahawks Stadium

Qwest Field

CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...

. The last time the game was played on the Idaho side of the border was in 1966

1966 in sports

1966 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –** Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France** Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France-American football:...

, a 14-7 Cougar victory on a very muddy field.

Future of rivalry

After ten years of the renewed rivalry, new Vandal head coach Robb Akey

Robb Akey

-External links:...

, formerly WSU's defensive coordinator, said in that he preferred the game not be played every year, instead saying he would prefer it as a "once-in-a-while thing."

Game results

50 won by home team*

38 won by visitor

3 tied games

UI* 8 in Moscow

UI* 1 in Pullman

UI* 0 in Seattle

WSU* 37 in Pullman

WSU* 3 in Spokane

WSU 28 in Moscow

WSU 1 in Pullman

WSU 1 in Seattle

UI 9 in Pullman

UI 0 in Spokane

Tie 0 in Moscow

Tie 3 in Pullman

Tie 0 in Seattle

Tie 0 in Spokane

9 home*

40 home*

30 away

9 away

19 years with No game

70 WSU victories

113 years total (1894–2007)

18 UI victories

2 years with 2+ games (1945, 1894)

1892 No game	1893 No game	1894 UI* 22-0 Moscow	1894 UI 12-0 Pullman	1894 WSU 10-0 Moscow	1895 WSU* 10-4 Pullman	1896 No game	1897 No game	1898 No game	1899 WSU* 11-0 Pullman
1900 No game	1901 UI* 5-0 Moscow	1902 WSU* 17-0 Pullman	1903 UI* 32-0 Moscow	1904 UI 5-0 Pullman	1905 UI* 5-0 Moscow	1906 WSU* 10-0 Pullman	1907 UI* 5-4 Moscow	1908 Tie 4-4 Pullman	1909 WSU 18-0 Moscow
1910 UI 9-5 Pullman	1911 WSU 17-0 Moscow	1912 UI 13-0 Pullman	1913 UI* 3-0 Moscow	1914 WSU* 3-0 Pullman	1915 WSU 41-0 Moscow	1916 WSU* 31-0 Pullman	1917 WSU 19-0 Moscow	1918 No game	1919 WSU* 37-0 Pullman
1920 WSU 14-7 Moscow	1921 WSU* 20-3 Pullman	1922 WSU 18-19 Moscow	1923 UI 14-0 Pullman	1924 UI* 19-3 Moscow	1925 UI 7-6 Pullman	1926 WSU 6-0 Moscow	1927 Tie 7-7 Pullman	1928 WSU 26-0 Moscow	1929 WSU* 41-7 Pullman
1930 WSU 33-7 Moscow	1931 WSU* 9-8 Pullman	1932 WSU* 12-0 Pullman	1933 WSU 14-6 Moscow	1934 WSU* 19-0 Pullman	1935 WSU 6-0 Moscow	1936 WSU 14-0 Moscow	1937 WSU* 13-0 Pullman	1938 WSU 12-0 Moscow	1939 WSU* 21-13 Pullman
1940 WSU 26-0 Moscow	1941 WSU* 26-0 Pullman	1942 WSU 7-0 Moscow	1943 1944 No games	1945 WSU 43-12 Moscow	1945 WSU 21-0 Moscow	1946 WSU* 32-0 Pullman	1947 WSU 7-0 Moscow	1948 WSU* 19-14 Pullman	1949 WSU 35-13 Moscow
1950 Tie 7-7 Pullman	1951 WSU 9-6 Moscow	1952 WSU* 36-6 Pullman	1953 WSU 30-13 Moscow	1954 UI 10-0 Pullman	1955 WSU 9-0 Moscow	1956 WSU 33-19 Moscow	1957 WSU* 21-13 Pullman	1958 WSU 8-0 Moscow	1959 WSU* 27-5 Pullman
1960 WSU 18-17 Moscow	1961 WSU* 34-0 Pullman	1962 WSU 22-14 Moscow	1963 WSU* 14-10 Pullman	1964 UI* 28-13 Moscow	1965 UI 17-13 Pullman	1966 WSU 14-7 Moscow	1967 WSU* 52-14 Pullman	1968 WSU 14-0 Spokane	1969 No game
1970 WSU 44-16 Spokane	1971 No game	1972 WSU* 35-14 Pullman	1973 WSU* 51-24 Pullman	1974 WSU* 17-10 Pullman	1975 WSU* 84-27 Pullman	1976 WSU* 45-6 Pullman	1977 WSU* 45-17 Pullman	1978 WSU* 28-0 Pullman	1979 No game
1980 No game	1981 No game	1982 WSU 34-14 Spokane	1983 No game	1984 No game	1985 No game	1986 No game	1987 No game	1988 No game	1989 WSU* 41-7 Pullman
1990 No game	1991 No game	1992 No game	1993 No game	1994 No game	1995 No game	1996 No game	1997 No game	1998 WSU* 24-16 Pullman	1999 UI 28-17 Pullman
2000 UI 38-34 Pullman	2001 WSU* 36-7 Pullman	2002 WSU 49-14 Pullman	2003 WSU* 25-0 Seattle	2004 WSU* 49-8 Pullman	2005 WSU 38-26 Pullman	2006 WSU 56-10 Pullman	2007 WSU 45-28 Pullman	2008 No game	2009 No game
2010 No game	2011 No game