Grip on Sports: Other than another Friday Apple Cup, next year’s Pac-12 football schedule seems a bit better

A GRIP ON SPORTS • This year’s football schedule isn’t even over. But we know what our favorite Pac-12 school’s schedule is for 2018. Is it any better? Read on.

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• The conference allowed each school to announce their 2018 football schedule yesterday, with the caveat there are no times attached. There are just dates and locations. Which is enough, in November of the previous year.

Are the schedules as bad as they have been recently?

Nope. Not in the sense of the non-conference games played by Pac-12 schools and not in the sense of odd days, homestands and byes.

Jon Wilner explains the last one in his column from yesterday, leaning on BYU, an independent with a flexible schedule, as the hero in the bye puzzle.

But there still are a few quirks. Most notably the Apple Cup.

We’ve said this before and we probably will have to say it again. Scheduling the Apple Cup on Black Friday is idiotic, illogical and inconsiderate.

Look at the conference. Of all the rivalry games, the only one that features more space and travel time is Utah versus Colorado. And that one is long enough most fans fly if they are attending the road game.

Arizona versus Arizona State, a couple hours down an interstate between the schools with usual traffic and driving conditions. Oregon versus Oregon State, less than an hour. California versus Stanford and USC versus UCLA, it doesn’t matter as fans are coming from all over the metro areas.

But Pullman and Seattle are separated by a mountain range that is usually pelted with snow by Thanksgiving weekend. The drive isn’t easy and flying is an expensive option. It is the one rivalry game in the conference that should always be on a Saturday. If not, fans are forced to travel on Thanksgiving to attend the road game.

That’s just inconsiderate. But fans who sit in the stadiums aren’t important. Neither are the players. Haven’t been for years. Which is why, when the new schedules are announced, the conference has to point out – and pat itself on the back – there are no Friday games in which the road team has played on the road the previous week.

The schedule makers didn’t understand how tough that is, scheduled four games with that criteria this season and watched all four road teams, three of whom were favored, lose. Three of them, WSU, USC and Washington, were also ranked in the top 10 at the time and had shots at the college football playoffs. All of those hopes, and the millions of dollars that went with them, we either torpedoed or dealt a huge blow with the loss. Those millions of dollars were lost too.

That hurts. And a change was made. Money talks.

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WSU: The Cougars’ 2018 schedule includes non-conference games against Wyoming (7-3 this season but more-than-likely losing star quarterback Josh Allen to the NFL draft), San Jose State (1-10 with its only win over Cal Poly) and Eastern Washington (we all know how good the Eagles are; they may be the toughest non-conference foe next season). WSU’s bye is centrally located and they face their two toughest games (USC and Washington) on Friday nights. Theo Lawson has all that and more in his story on the schedule. … He’s still concerned with this year, though, and has the news Luke Falk is once again a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy. … Theo also has some interviews on the WSU football page. … The Times’ Stefanie Loh also checks in on next year’s schedule. … Former Washington State receiver Michael Bumpus seems to have found a calling as a high school football coach. He was one of my all-time favorite interviews and had a great story.

Elsewhere in Pac-12, we start with a piece on the new football signing dates (they come in December) and how they are affecting recruiting. … It’s time to share picks and some TV broadcasting news. … Washington has to win against Utah this week. It has to hope Stanford loses. And then the Apple Cup will mean the winner goes to the Pac-12 championship game. The Huskies will have to do the first item on the list without their best linebacker. … Oregon State and Arizona State meet in Corvallis. … Oregon and Arizona meet in Eugene. It’s a fun Saturday in the Willamette Valley. … It’s also a fun day in the Bay Area. The Big Game, pitting California and Stanford, is always fun. And memorable. … It will be memorable in the Coliseum as well with UCLA and USC – and their quarterbacks Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold  – showing off. Will it be Jim Mora’s last rivalry game? … Colorado hopes the bye week helps people heal. … In basketball, Arizona, California and Utah won again but Washington lost for the first time this season.

Gonzaga: If you are uniform fan, then Jim Meehan’s latest PK80 story is for you. … If you are a recruiting fan, then this one is.

EWU: It’s the final regular season game for Eastern’s seniors and, as Jim Allen’s story shows, they are hoping for at least one more. … A former Eagle standout is making his mark for the Los Angeles Rams. And, no, this story from Jim isn’t about Cooper Kupp. … The two football players who were suspended last week will have their day in court. Jim has that story as well. … He also delves into basketball and held a live chat yesterday. … Around the Big Sky, Northern Arizona will be looking for a new athletic director. … The football coach the old one forced out will be leading his team into a game this weekend at Southern Utah, with the winner the Big Sky champion. … Weber State hopes for a piece of the title, but the Wildcats need to defeat Idaho State. … The big rivalry game this week is in Missoula, where Montana will host Montana State. … On the basketball courts last night, Southern Utah beat San Jose State at home.

Idaho: The first player to sign with UI under Paul Petrino will play his last few games this month. Peter Harriman has a story on Reuben Mwehla.

Whitworth: Basketball season is getting underway and Whitney Ogden offers a piece on a women’s player with a long family basketball history, Chloe Quinnett.

Preps: The playoffs continue, with Jim Allen previewing all the local soccer teams in the state semifinals and Whitney looking at Central Valley’s football game. … WIAA executive director Mike Colbrese announced he is retiring. But it’s not that soon.

Seahawks: The Hawks may still be one of the better NFC teams, but injuries are starting to pile up. They may be without their best – and newest – offensive lineman and at least half of the Legion of Boom when they play the Falcons on Monday. Other injured players still have a few weeks to return. … The running game is still not near where the Hawks want it.

Mariners: The M’s are positioning themselves for a run at Japanese star Shohei Otani. Jerry Dipoto traded hard-throwing minor leaguer Thyago Vieira for international signing money.

Sounders: We can’t let the morning column finish without mentioning Portland bid adieu to coach Caleb Porter, one of the more successful MLS coaches. But his personality had to have been tough for management to deal with.

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• It’s Friday again. Happens every week, right? This one heralds a pretty quiet weekend, with the Hawks off until Monday night and the Cougars on a bye. Eastern and Idaho play at home tomorrow as does Gonzaga. But that’s it. Until later …