Pullman will be loaded with Cougar flavor on Aug. 7, when the CougsFirst! QB Classic returns to Palouse Ridge Golf Club and gives fans a chance to be right in the middle of it.
The sixth annual event is hosted by WSU legend Jack Thompson and Cougar football coach Kirby Moore, and the field is packed with familiar names from Washington State history. Among those set to take part are Super Bowl winners Mark Rypien and Brett Carolan, Seahawks great Robbie Tobeck, two-time Rose Bowl coach Mike Price, receivers Mike Levenseller and Marquess Wilson, College Football Hall of Famer Rueben Mayes, and WSU’s winningest quarterback, Luke Falk. Connor Halliday is also scheduled to play and, as the source notes, figures to give Rypien a run for lowest score.
Fans can show up for selfies and autographs throughout the day, and they’ll also be able to watch from the bleachers on the 18th hole. The players begin arriving at 7 a.m. and tee off at 8:30. They’ll also be available as they come off the 18th hole, at their turns at the clubhouse, and after they finish their rounds around 1 p.m.
The fundraiser supports both the CougsFirst! Quarterback U Endowment within the Cougar Athletic Fund and the CougsFirst!
operating fund. According to CougsFirst!
executive director Kelsey Knutson, the Cougar celebrities pay their own way to the event and are paired with threesomes whose participation fees and auction purchases are expected to bring in $25,000. A few spots remain for either threesomes with a celebrity or foursomes.
Thompson co-founded CougsFirst! in 2010 with Glenn Osterhout as a business networking group aimed at encouraging WSU alumni and friends to turn first to Cougar-connected businesses for products and services.
Cougfan.com joined as a charter member that same year and remains a supporter of the mission. BECU is the title sponsor, with Pullman Regional Hospital among the other co-sponsors.
The weekend in Pullman won’t stop with golf. The second annual Iceman Classic pro-am basketball tournament is set for Aug. 8 on Friel Court, and fans can attend free of charge.
The event features a mix of high school, college and professional talent, with former Kelvin Sampson Era WSU basketball player Harold Wright serving as host. Those interested in playing can email brian@yardball.org.
Game times are noon for men’s game 1, 1:30 p.m. for the women’s game, 3 p.m. for men’s game 2 and 6:30 p.m. for the championship game.
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