The move from Saturday to Sunday will help the game escape a crowded Saturday game schedule, with over 50 FBS games being played that Saturday alone, compared to Sunday’s three. A less crowded schedule and a national audience is likely to increase viewership.

Louisville vs. Ole Miss and Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame will follow the Apple Cup with kickoffs at 4:30 p.m. PST.

The change comes as the future of the rivalry game remains uncertain. This will be the 118th game in the Apple Cup’s 126 years and the third game of a five-year extension ending 2028. The two former conference partners, Washington and Washington State, agreed to the extension following the collapse of the Pac-12 Conference in 2024.

Accompanying the agreement to extend the series was the decision to move the Apple Cup to Week 1 from its traditional end-of-season kickoff. This marks the second notable schedule change since the matchup became a non-conference game in 2024 when Washington left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten Conference.

The game will begin a busy week for Seattle, with the Apple Cup being played in the University District at Husky Stadium. Later that week on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Seahawks will be hosting the Patriots at Lumen Field.