Northwest Notes April 24, 2024

Washington State, Virginia agree to home-and-home football series

PULLMAN — Washington State announced Tuesday that it has added a two game, home-and-home series against Virginia to its 2025 and 2031 football schedules.

The Cougars will face the Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Va., on Sept. 27, 2025, with Virginia set for the return contest in Gesa Field on Sept. 13, 2031. The 2025 contest marks the first meeting between the two teams, while the contest in 2031 will mark the first time WSU will host an ACC opponent in Gesa Field.

The Cougars and Cavaliers have a few connections from recent years. Current WSU running backs coach Mark Atuaia was a member of the Virginia coaching staff from 2016-21 before arriving in Pullman as a member of head coach Jake Dickert’s staff. Also, former Cougar basketball head coach Tony Bennett has been in Charlottesville for 15 years as Virginia’s head coach after spending the previous six years in Pullman.

Next year’s game at Virginia will mark the fourth ACC opponent the Cougars have faced in their football history. Most recently, WSU defeated Miami in the 2015 Sun Bowl, while the Cougars have also played at Pittsburgh (1995) and against Syracuse in Orchard Park, N.Y. (1979).

Gonzaga officially adds Pepperdine transfer Ajayi

SPOKANE — Michael Ajayi, a transfer from Pepperdine, signed a financial aid agreement to attend Gonzaga University and will join the men's basketball team for the 2024-25 season, the Zags announced.

“Michael is a great addition,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said in a university news release. “He is a driven worker with high character, that will be a great fit with our guys.”

Ajayi, a Kent, Wash., native, led the West Coast Conference in scoring this past season at 17.1 points per game. As a junior, he was second in the WCC grabbing 9.9 rebounds per outing. He made 46.7 percent from the field, including 47 percent from behind the arc. He earned First Team All-Conference honors.

Ajayi scored at least 20 points 11 times this season and hit 30 twice. In the two games against Gonzaga, he averaged 10 points and 8.5 rebounds.

Ajayi spent two years at Pierce College in Lakewood, Wash., where he was named the 2022 Northwest Athletic Conference West Region’s Most Valuable Player and the West Region’s Freshman of the Year after putting up 20.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.