COUGAR NOTES: WSU, Seattle Sports radio announce expanded partnership

Jul. 10—COUGAR NOTES

Those who can’t find their way “back home” will be able to listen to Washington State football and men’s and women’s basketball games from nearly anywhere in the Evergreen State during the 2026-27 season.

That’s thanks to an expanded partnership between WSU Athletics and Bonneville Seattle Media Group, which operates Seattle Sports 710 AM radio and is the official broadcast partner for the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners.

More on the deal below, along with a rundown of several prominent magazines’ preseason expectations for Cougar football and more in this edition of Cougar Notes.

Cougs on Seattle radio

Seattle’s 710 AM was already the western Washington radio home for Cougar football games, but the new deal expands the station’s coverage to include Cougar men’s basketball via that same outlet.

The deal also includes streaming of WSU’s football and men’s and women’s basketball games via seattlesports.com and the Seattle Sports app. That statewide service, coupled with the online Cougar Sports Network streaming platform, provides fans with multiple listening options.

Local radio stations on the Palouse and surrounding areas are expected to remain the same, with football games on KHTR-FM (104.3 and 103.9) and KCLX-AM (1450) and men’s and women’s basketball games on KHTR-FM, KCLX or KQQQ-AM/FM (1150/102.1).

“Seattle Sports gives us an incredible opportunity to connect with Cougs across Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest,” Jon Haarlow, WSU’s vice president and athletic director, said in a statement. “As the region’s premier sports media brand, Seattle Sports provides a tremendous platform to share the stories of our programs, student-athletes and coaches. Reaching all Cougs wherever they are is critical to our outreach, and we’re excited about what this partnership means for the future of Washington State Athletics.”

Seattle Sports will also provide coverage of WSU’s flagship athletic programs in its daytime programming, including a weekly lunch-hour segment with first-year WSU football coach Kirby Moore.

Moore will speak with former WSU wide receiver Michael Bumpus and his co-host Stacy Jo Rost on the “Bump and Stacy” show at 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday during the season.

The segment will air live on 710 AM, be streamed online and be available after the fact on Seattle Sports’ YouTube channel, among other digital outlets.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Washington State University Athletics at such an exciting time, as the new Pac-12 takes shape and the Kirby Moore era begins,” said Seattle Sports program director Kyle Brown in a statement. “At Seattle Sports, our goal is to be more than just a radio station.”

One WSU baseball game will be aired on Seattle Sports each season. All WSU athletic broadcasts will continue to be available via the Cougar Sports Network and WSU Cougars Gameday app.

Preseason expectations for WSU football

Athlon Sports predicts that WSU will finish fourth in its first season in the new Pac-12, while Phil Steele tabs the Cougars in fifth place.

Those middle-of-the-road preseason expectations do not mean that the Cougars are devoid of talent, according to these publications.

Athlon recognized 17 individual Cougars with 18 total honors between its four All-Pac-12 Conference preseason teams, with left tackle Ashton Tripp and punt returner Tony Freeman making the first team. Freeman is also a part of the second team as a wide receiver.

Steele recognized one Coug on his first team, Vanderbilt transfer defensive end Linus Zunk from Berlin, Germany, and 12 individuals claimed 13 total spots across his three preseason teams. Freeman, as a wide receiver, is on the second team, while his punt-returner role earned him a third-team honor.

Tripp, of Kennewick, Wash., started all 13 games at left tackle last season, allowing just one sack through 490 pass attempts. He played 887 total snaps.

Freeman finished last season sixth nationally with a 17.3 punt return average — a WSU single-season record. He returned five punts for 40-or-more yards and eight for 20-or-more yards.

Zunk appeared in all 13 games for Vanderbilt last season. He recorded 15 tackles, including three sacks.

Texas State transfer cornerback Khamari Terrell and San Jose State transfer safety Jaylen Thomas made the Athlon second team, while UC Davis transfer quarterback Caden Pinnick, Zunk, kicker Jack Stevens, linebacker Keith Brown, Cal Poly transfer safety Jeremiah Bernard and Idaho transfer DE Matyus McLain made the third team.

Running back Kirby Vorhees, wideout Darrius Clemons, tight end Trey Leckner, center Kyle Martin, offensive lineman Jonny Lester, defensive lineman Jirah Leaupepetele and linebacker DJ Warner each made the fourth team.

Steele was more complimentary of some players while less high on others.

With Zunk his lone first-team pick, Freeman (WR), Tripp, Terrell and Stevens rounded out the WSU second team.

Pinnick, Clemons, Lester, Leaupepetele, Freeman (punt returner), Vorhees, McLain and Warner made his third team.

Cougars release soccer schedule

The WSU women’s soccer program announced its complete 2026 schedule this week.

WSU’s 17-match slate includes eight home matches at the Lower Soccer Field in Pullman, including four Pac-12 Conference matchups. If the Cougars finish in the top half of the conference, they will partake in the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament, Nov. 11-15.

The four-team tournament will be hosted by the Pac-12 team with the highest nonconference RPI, a strength-of-schedule algorithm, according to the Pac-12.

First-year coach Chris Citowicki’s squad will open the season at home against Idaho in the Battle of the Palouse at 6 p.m. Aug. 12 — the first WSU Athletics event of the new school year.

A trip to Hawaii is in the Cougars’ future for the OUTRIGGER No Ka Oi tournament. They will play Utah Valley at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Sept. 3 at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium in Waipahu, Hawaii. The Cougars will play host Hawaii at 6 p.m. Sept. 6, back in Waipahu.

Following a nonconference home game with Seattle U at 6 p.m. Sept. 16, the Cougars will take a few weeks off from matches before opening their Pac-12 slate with a 6 p.m. Oct. 1 meeting with Oregon State.

WSU plays Gonzaga at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 in Spokane and welcomes Fresno State, San Diego State and Texas State to Pullman. WSU wraps its regular season at Boise State on Nov. 5.

The complete WSU soccer schedule is listed below.

WSU soccer

Idaho, 6 p.m., Aug. 12, Pullman

South Florida, 6 p.m., Aug. 15, Pullman.

At South Dakota State, 5 p.m., Aug. 20, Brookings, S.D.

At North Dakota State, 11 a.m,. Aug. 27, Pullman.

OUTRIGGER No Ka Oi tournament — Utah Valley, 6:30 p.m., Sept. 3, Waipahu, Hawaii; at Hawaii, 6 p.m., Sept. 6, Waipahu, Hawaii.

At Cal State Fullerton, 2 p.m., Sept. 13, Fullerton, Calif.

Seattle U, 6 p.m., Sept. 16, Pullman.

Pac-12 Conference schedule

Oregon State, 6 p.m., Oct. 1, Pullman.

Fresno State, noon, Oct. 4, Pullman.

At Utah State, 6 p.m., Oct. 8, Logan, Utah.

At Gonzaga, 6 p.m., Oct. 17, Spokane.

San Diego State, 6 p.m., Oct. 22, Pullman.

Texas State, 1 p.m., Oct. 25, Pullman.

At Colorado State, noon, Oct. 31, Fort Collins, Colo.

At Boise State, 6 p.m., Nov. 5, Boise.

Pac-12 Tournament — Semifinals, Nov. 11 OR 12; Final, Nov. 14 OR 15.

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2260, staylor@lmtribune.com, or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.