Like it or not, the new age of college football is here

On Tuesday, tickets for the annual Apple Cup football showdown between Washington and Washington State went on sale to the public. 

The game, first played in 1900, has been a staple of the final week of college football. It is what’s great about collegiate sports; an entire state devoted to a rivalry game that divides homes and workplaces.

And now, it’s also a microcosm of the new age of college football. 

The 2024 version of the Apple Cup will be played on Sept. 14 at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. Beyond that, the game will be available to watch exclusively on Peacock, meaning some fans who aren’t already subscribers will be forced to pay for a streaming service to see the most meaningful game in the state of Washington.

Everything about this year’s game is due to the shifting landscape of college athletics. When Washington moved to the Big Ten for the 2024 season, it altered the Apple Cup as we know it. Conference realignment, the allure of fat television contracts and increased NIL money will win every time, rivalries be damned.