Jake Dickert Commends WSU's Strength of Schedule Despite Logistics Challenges

Joe Londergan | Jul 13, 2024

Sep 23, 2023; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Jake Dickert looks on against the Oregon State Beavers in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

This week, Washington State Cougars head football coach Jake Dickert appeared at the Pac-12's meida event in Las Vegas, alongside Oregon State head coach Trent Bray.

During the event, Dickert expressed his excitement for the season, as well as the quality of opponents WSU will face despite not playing a true conference schedule this year.

"It's all about approach - how do you walk into that game, that moment, that stadium? Because I've been to Fresno. It's tough to play there. I've been to Boise on a Saturday night, tough to play there. Obviously, the Apple Cup in Seattle, it's going to be a great environment. Texas Tech at home. What we were able to do, put together this schedule in a really short order, I think was pretty special."

Shortly after the end of the 2023-2024 college football season, the two schools reached an agreement in December with the Mountain West Conference that gave the Cougars eight opponents from the league.

Given his three seasons as a defensive assistant at Wyoming, including the 2019 season as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, Dickert's respect for the Mountain West Conference makes sense.

The agreement to extend the Apple Cup series for the next five seasons also helped bolster the Cougs' schedule in a way that should keep fans excited.

Dickert will also have to deal with a rising Texas Tech program, who will be WSU's first FBS opponent on September 7.

Published Jul 13, 2024

JOE LONDERGAN

Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.