Washington State and Colville Tribes Announce Partnership
Washington State Athletics announced a historic new partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation that marks the largest sponsorship agreement in school history, providing a jolt for the athletic department entering a new era of the rebuilt Pac-12 conference.
The five-year deal, announced on June 30, is valued at approximately $8.4 million and includes a $250,000 donation to the Cougar Athletic Excellence Fund during the first year. Beginning with the 2026-27 athletic season, every Washington State athletic team will wear the Colville Tribes logo on their uniforms. The agreement is one of the most expansive uniform sponsorships in college athletics and the first of its kind in the new Pac-12.
"This is a historic partnership rooted in Eastern Washington," Washington State athletic director Jon Haarlow said. "It brings together two tradition-rich communities as we chart an exciting new path forward as leaders in the Pacific Northwest and the new Pac-12."
The partnership is about much more than branding, however. It will create new educational, leadership, and career opportunities for members of the Colville Tribes while continuing a relationship between the university and the Tribes that dates back nearly three decades. Both sides emphasized a shared commitment to investing in students and helping develop future leaders just as much as helping the athletic programs.
Washington State president Betsy Cantwell highlighted that mission, saying, "At the heart of this partnership is a shared belief in investing in young people, helping them become exceptional students, future leaders, and ultimately bringing them back home to strengthen the communities they love. That alignment of values is what made the Colville Tribes the right partner for this historic opportunity."
Jarred-Michael Erickson, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, also released a statement via Washington State’s website expressing excitement about the new partnership and the impact it will have on and off the field.
"The Colville Tribes has partnered with WSU for decades now on a variety of topics related to education and culture. We are pleased to continue our partnership with this new and historic involvement in WSU's athletic program. Athletics instill character, and that is an important quality for Colville. There are multiple aspects to this deal, but I am sure our membership will especially enjoy seeing a Colville Tribes patch on WSU jerseys. Go Cougs!"
The additional revenue comes at an important time for Washington State as college athletics continues to evolve financially with NIL and the transfer portal and should make them more competitive pursuing talented recruits. The Cougars were on the wrong side of the bubble when the original Pac-12 broke down earlier in the decade as rival Washington, UCLA, USC, Oregon, and others bolted for other conferences, leaving them as a de facto independent in football and without the revenue stream they previously had as a Power 5 conference school.
At the same time, the Colville Tribes will gain increased exposure through Cougar athletics while advancing initiatives centered on education, leadership development, and community engagement, presenting a win-win for everyone involved in the partnership.
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July 1 officially marked the launch of the rebuilt Pac-12 Conference. Along with the conference's official start, the conference announced that its men's and women's basketball tournaments will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, giving the new Pac-12 one of the premier postseason venues in college basketball.
