Washington State will get another shot at Seattle U in December, with the Cougars set to meet the Redhawks on Saturday, Dec. 19 in the Seattle Holiday Classic at Climate Pledge Arena, Total Sports Consulting announced Monday.
The matchup will open a doubleheader that also includes Washington against Baylor in the second game of the showcase.
WSU head coach David Riley said the trip carries meaning beyond the matchup itself.
"We're looking forward to getting back to Seattle and bringing Cougar basketball to the thousands of WSU alumni in western Washington,” WSU Head Coach David Riley said. “I believe playing the other Division-I teams in the state is an important part of developing the game and honoring its history in the Pacific Northwest. We look forward to facing the Redhawks at Climate Pledge Arena and welcoming Coug fans to the Seattle Holiday Classic!"
Tickets for the event go on sale Wednesday, Aug. 19 through Ticketmaster and the Climate Pledge Arena Box Office. One ticket covers both games, and fans can also buy into premium courtside seats, luxury suites, hospitality experiences, club seating and discounted group packages.
The Seattle Holiday Classic gives WSU another chance to show off a roster that has been reshaped heading into the 2026-27 season. Riley enters his third year with a rebuilt group built around a fast-paced, pro-style offense and a lineup full of stretch pieces that can create matchup problems and scoring chances.
Among the new faces are Sebastian Akins, the 2025 Summit League Freshman of the Year, and Lazerek Houston, a high-scoring Division-II Conference Player of the Year from Central Missouri. The wing group will also include Oregon transfer Jamari Phillips, along with recently signed French center Mohamed Sankhe and Northwestern transfer Tyler Kropp.
Total Sports Consulting president Dan Shell said the event is meant to give college basketball a stage in a marquee venue.
“We are thrilled to bring the Seattle Holiday Classic to Climate Pledge Arena and welcome these outstanding programs to Seattle,” said Total Sports Consulting President Dan Shell. “This event is a great opportunity to showcase college basketball in one of the country’s premier venues and create a special holiday experience for the teams, fans and the Seattle community.”
The Cougars and Redhawks have already seen each other recently, meeting last season in the Emerald City for the first time in 48 years. The teams split the home-and-home series, with each side winning on its own floor.
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A fall camp scrimmage gave Washington State defensive coordinator Trent Bray a fresh chance to size up the Cougars defense, and a few names came away with more attention than they had before. Bray pointed to linebacker DJ Warner, cornerback Jalil Tucker and safety Jeremiah Bernard as players making real impressions, while also noting that the group as a whole still had some cleaning up to do after a penalty-filled outing.
Warners move from defensive end to linebacker has been one of the more interesting camp developments, and the early signs suggest he is settling into the new spot with more confidence. Tucker, meanwhile, is drawing notice after coming over from junior college, and Bernards aggressive style has already become hard to miss, even in a setting where the coaches have had to manage how hard he plays. The bigger question now is how those individual gains hold up once the defense is put under the pressure of a full season. [Read more 🡒]