The Battle of the Palouse, the football rivalry between two of the closest collegiate athletics programs in the country, could return if the University of Idaho returns to its FCS status, WSU athletic director Bill Moos said Tuesday in an interview with Pullman Radio.

“The old Battle of the Palouse for decades was a great rivalry, and I would look at entertaining possibly playing Idaho every year for a nice guarantee,” Moos said on News Talk for the Palouse’s Morning News.

The FBS Sun Belt Conference, which Idaho has been a football-only member of since 2014, announced Monday that it would not renew the Vandals’ contract with the conference beyond the 2017 season, which means UI seemingly has two options for how to proceed in the fall of 2018.

Idaho received an offer to join the FCS Big Sky Conference in 2018, or the Vandals can go back to playing independently in the FBS, which it did in 2013 between the Western Athletic Conference no longer supporting football and receiving an invitation from the Sun Belt Conference.

If the Vandals accept the offer from the Big Sky and drop down to FCS status, and Moos decides to follow through on his consideration to reignite playing Idaho annually, it would revive a 122-year-old, storied rivalry.

The Cougars lead the all-time series, 71-16-3, and won the last meeting on Sept. 21, 2013, 42-0. WSU will host UI this season on Sept. 17 in their third and final non-conference game of the season.

Reporting by Dustin Brennan