The Washington State Cougars haven’t exactly been a powerhouse in the Pac-12 conference or college football, in general. That isn’t about to change suddenly in 2015, but there is plenty of reason for Cougars fans to hope for a positive step forward this season, as new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch shakes up the team’s base 3-4 defense to include an extra defensive back. That change, in theory, could make one of the league’s worst pass-defenses from a year ago much more consistent. With an improving defense, less pressure could be placed on head coach Mike Leach’s offense, and Washington State could start to work their way up from the bottom of one of college football’s tougher conferences.
For fans wanting to see the Cougars begin their potential ascension in the upcoming campaign, they can catch every second of the action with DISH Sports Packages, which features the highly-acclaimed Pac-12 Network. Not only can fans witness Washington State hopefully usher in a new era of their program, but they can also catch every Pac-12 game, comprised of some of the best teams in the entire country.
The rise up hasn’t been easy thus far and it won’t be any less difficult in 2015, as Leach’s bunch tries to pick up the pieces of a lost 2014 season that saw the Cougars go just 3-9 (2-7 inside the Pac-12). Washington State is far from hopeless, as they stepped up with a 6-7 showing in 2013 that earned them a bowl game appearance. With the changes on defense providing some help, an offensive line that returns all five starters has a chance at controlling games on the ground and young quarterback Luke Falk could make some serious noise under center. After all, Falk posted 1,800 passing yards last year in just six games, providing lots of promise for the new year.
There are certainly question marks going into the new college football season, but that’s the story with any young team that is undergoing change. The good news is there is also some optimism and if the Cougars play their cards right, they could be back where we saw them in 2013, or possibly better. Either way, Cougars tickets are representing serious value for die hard Washington State fans in 2015, as no game tops $150 on average, and multiple must-see matchups come in well below $100.
To gauge just how much value Washington State fans are in for this year, let’s highlight the Cougar’s cheapest and most expensive games on the schedule:
Cheapest – 9/5/2015 VS. Portland State Vikings at Martin Stadium | Avg: $53.06 | Get-in: $15
The Cougars’ cheapest game of 2015 is actually a road date with Rutgers (an unbelievably low $33 on average), but Washington State fans probably wouldn’t mind hearing about the cheapest game at home this year. That’d be this September 5 battle with the Portland State Vikings, which actually happens to be the home and season-opener for the Cougars.
Portland State isn’t an intimidating foe (Washington State crushed them, 59-21, last year), but we’re talking about the first game of the year at Martin Stadium, as well as a sure blowout. Leach’s offense gets a sweet tune-up game here and fans have a chance to see the Cougars hang 50+ points on a weak opponent while presumably starting off 2015 undefeated, albeit at 1-0. It’s all pretty likely, yet fans can get in the door for just $15 and Cougars tickets are just about $53 on average.
Most Expensive – 11/27/2015 @ Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium | Avg: $141.05 | Get-in: $64
No Washington State game should be considered “pricey” this year, but the worst it gets is a late-November clash with the hated Huskies at Husky Stadium. Tickets for this in-state rivalry go for about $141.05 on average, with a solid get-in tag of $64. The Cougars will be out for blood in 2015, as they’ll try to avenge a 31-13 loss to the Huskies last year, while they try to get a win over their Pac-12 rivals for the first time since 2012, as well. Doing so may be easier said than done, given how solid Washington has been the past few years, but there’s no doubt Washington State will come to play against their big arch-rival.
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