UW's Persistent NFL Sell Continues with Lumen Field Apple Cup

Saturday's game will mark the fourth in six the Huskies have played in a pro setting.

Voi Tunuufi soaks up the Sugar Bowl and CFP semifinal game played at the Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Since the day he took the job, Jedd Fisch tirelessly has promoted the University of Washington football program as a place that can get you to the NFL. He's made the Belichicks and Carrolls, young and old, visible reminders of this possibility for the Huskies.

He has former pro football coaches and players interspersed among his coaching staff, a long-time pro trainer handling those in-house needs, NFL scouts regularly in attendance and a pro-style offense and defense in place.

On Saturday, Fisch will take his UW players on basically what amounts to a five-mile field trip -- from Husky Stadium to Lumen Field -- to face the Washington State Cougars in the 116th running of the Apple Cup at the home of the Seattle Seahawks.

However, what the first-year UW football coach might not realize is this will mark the fourth time over the past half-dozen games that a good number of his players will be exposed to the shiny bells and whistles of an NFL facility.

"I think it will be cool playing in an NFL Stadium," Husky wide receiver Denzel Boston said. "We did a lot of that last year."

Indeed, they did, closing out the 2023 season by facing the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 championship game at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders; taking on Texas in the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff semifinals at the Superdome, home of the New Orleans Saints; and meeting Michigan in the CFP national championship game at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans.

"I'm looking forward to it," UW linebacker Carson Bruener said. "I've been to a Seahawks game before. I've kind of gone and watched the Seahawks there, so I know it's a great atmosphere to be in, for sure."

Besides, he's the son of Mark Bruener, a one-time 14-year NFL tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers and those Houston Texans, and now a Steelers scout. He won't necessarily be all starry-eyed by the pro football surroundings.

Lumen Field is all dressed up for Saturday's Apple Cup. / Promo

Boston noted how Lumen Field will offer subtle differences, such as numbers and hashmarks that don't match those at Husky Stadium.

Fisch no doubt will tell his players to soak it all in and maybe dreams will come true. He's based his program for moments like this.

"When you have the opportunity to sell the NFL, you should do it." Fisch said previously. "The difference in some programs is they want to sell it. We can tell it what it's actually like."

Following Saturday's Apple Cup, the Huskies will play in college facilities only for the rest of the regular season, though Penn State's Beaver Stadium might be more daunting than any pro setting it has encountered. The place seats106,572 -- the second-most in college football behind Michigan Stadium and its 107,601 capacity, and it will be at least 20,000 more crowded than any NFL battleground.

A flag-bearing Husky cheerleader runs past the Michigan football team at NRG Stadium in Houston. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Remembering what took place last season, the Huskies no doubt will do what they can to return to the college football postseason, though the analysts don't see that happening after so much program turnover.

A Big Ten championship game appearance on Dec. 7 would take Fisch's team to Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, and a return trip to the CFP title game on Jan. 20, 2025, would send them to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons.

These are all stadiums that football dreams are made of and the Huskies have been there, done that.

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