Washington State’s 2026 bowl picture is all over the map, and that’s putting it mildly.
The betting market has the Cougars at 4.5 wins, but the media consensus says something very different: most outlets see WSU getting to a bowl game. That lines up with the recent track record, too. The Cougs have reached the postseason in 10 of the last 12 full seasons.
What nobody seems able to agree on is where they’d land. The projections scatter WSU across the country:
ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura has the Cougs facing Illinois in the Cactus Bowl on Dec. 26 in Tempe.
CBS Sports sends WSU to the first-ever Puerto Rico Bowl against Georgia Southern on Dec. 22 in Bayamón.
College Football News also lands the Cougars in Bayamón, this time against Ohio on Dec. 22.
Athlon Sports’ Steve Lassan projects a trip to the New Mexico Bowl for a matchup with New Mexico on Dec. 23 in Albuquerque.
The Sporting News’ Bill Bender has Navy waiting in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 18 in Tampa.
USA Today’s Erick Smith places WSU in the Frisco Bowl against San Diego State on Dec. 23 in Frisco, just outside Dallas. The source notes that this appears to overlook the fact that the Cougs and Aztecs are now in the same league and meet during the regular season on Oct. 31.
SB Nation goes with the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 in El Paso, though it doesn’t name an opponent.
The lone national holdout, according to the source, is Sports Illustrated, which does not send Washington State to a bowl at all.
But there’s another layer to this conversation. If WSU somehow wins the Pac-12 title with a few losses along the way, the Cougars could even put themselves in the mix for the 12-team College Football Playoff.
That path won’t come easy early. The schedule opens with three Power 4 opponents - Washington, Kansas State and Arizona - and CBS Sports projects all three among the top 35 teams nationally.
Still, three of WSU’s biggest conference games are set to be played at Martin Stadium: Fresno State on Oct. 3, Boise State on Oct. 24 and the season-ending flex game with Oregon State on Nov.
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