Washington State University Athletics

Name

Washington State University Athletics

Legal name

Washington State University Athletics

Website

https://wsucougars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collegiate Athletics

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

College/University Athletic Departments & Varsity Programs (MPAKACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Intercollegiate Athletics (Varsity Sports Programs) (EDALAIAA), Collegiate & School Athletic Facilities (MPAKAEAJ), College & University Sports Networks (Conference/School-Owned) (MPABAJAD)

Keywords

• Collegiate athletics programs
• Sports ticket sales
• Athletic fundraising
• Student athlete development
• NIL partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single-game tickets, season ticket renewals, and student sports passes for all athletic events including football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, and other sports.
2. NIL Partnerships: Cougar Collective and Cougar Athletic Fund provide NIL opportunities to over 200 student-athletes through memberships, one-time gifts, and business partnerships facilitated by Playfly Max.
3. Cougar Athletic Fund (CAF) Donations: Tax-deductible donations through the Cougar Athletic Fund supporting NIL efforts, premium seating access, and general athletics operations.
4. Premium Seating: Revenue from luxury suites, loge boxes, and club seating at Gesa Field for football games.
5. Merchandise and Concessions: Official merchandise sales through The Bookie and online store; food and beverage concessions at venues.
6. Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships with sponsors including Gesa, Coors Light, and Playfly for naming rights, advertising, and promotional activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WSU Athletics operates the intercollegiate athletics program for Washington State University, fielding 18+ varsity sports that compete in the Pac-12 Conference. The department sells single-game and season tickets, student sports passes, premium seating (suites, loge boxes, club seats), official merchandise, and food/beverage concessions at venues including Gesa Field and Beasley Coliseum. It also runs the Cougar Pursuit NIL program and Cougar Collective to facilitate Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities for over 200 student-athletes, supported by the Cougar Athletic Fund donor program.

Product overview

Washington State University Athletics operates a digital platform centered around its official athletics website (wsucougars.com) that serves as the hub for all sports programs. The portfolio includes ticket management and mobile ticketing systems, the Sports Pass student ticket program, and an NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) ecosystem comprising the Cougar Pursuit NIL program, Cougar Collective membership platform, Cougar Athletic Fund, and PlayFly Max partnership tools. Additional offerings include live audio/radio broadcasts through the Cougar Radio Network. The platform supports 15 men's and women's sports programs including Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Volleyball, Tennis, Swimming, Golf, Cross Country, Track & Field, and Rowing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cougar Athletic Fund (CAF): The official fundraising arm of WSU Athletics that supports NIL efforts, premium seating, and athletic programs through donations.
• Cougar Collective
• ZZU CRU
• Butch T. Cougar
• Gray W Varsity Club
• Cougar Pursuit NIL

Products and services

• Student Sports Pass Annual student ticket subscription that grants access to all regular season home athletic events across six WSU sports for the academic year, priced at $299 for Pullman campus students and $200 for students at Spokane, Tri-Cities, Vancouver, Seattle, and Global campuses.
• Single-Game and Season Tickets Single-game and season ticket sales for football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, and other WSU Cougars sports, with mobile ticketing, season renewals, ticket transfers, and SeatGeek as the official secondary marketplace for football.
• Premium Seating (Suites, Loge Boxes, Club Seats) Luxury suites, loge boxes, and club seating at Gesa Field offering a premium game day experience for donors, corporate buyers, and high-value fans, sold through Cougar Athletic Fund membership channels.
• Cougar Pursuit NIL Program Name, Image, and Likeness program enabling WSU student-athletes to receive compensation through endorsements, appearances, and autograph deals, structured around the values of Educate, Empower, and Protect.
• Cougar Collective NIL membership program that pools donations and delivers opportunities for more than 200 WSU student-athletes through memberships, one-time gifts, and tiered programs including the 1890 Club.
• Cougar Athletic Fund (CAF) Donations Tax-deductible donation program that serves as the official fundraising arm of WSU Athletics, supporting NIL efforts, premium seating programs, RV parking, and general athletic operations through alumni and donor contributions.
• Butch T. Cougar Mascot Appearances Hourly appearance bookings of WSU's official mascot, Butch T. Cougar, for schools, community events, and organizations at a $375 base hourly rate, with reduced rates and mileage-zone surcharges based on location.
• Official Merchandise and Concessions Official WSU Athletics merchandise sold through The Bookie and online store, paired with food and beverage concessions operated at venue game days.
• Cougar Sports Network Live Broadcasts Live audio and radio broadcasts of WSU football and other athletic events distributed through the Cougar Sports Network to regional radio affiliates and digital streaming.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Playfly MaxcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlayfly Max facilitates NIL business partnerships with student-athletes, managing campaigns, social media activations, appearances, and custom brand partnerships through the Cougar Collective and Playfly Auction platforms.
• GesacoreOthersGesa is the naming sponsor for Gesa Field, WSU's football stadium. The partnership includes stadium naming rights, advertising, and promotional visibility at home games.
• Coors LightminorOthersCoors Light is a beverage sponsor for WSU Athletics, visible at football games and other athletic events.
• SeatGeekcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial secondary ticket marketplace for WSU football tickets, allowing fans to buy and sell tickets with official partnership integration on wsucougars.com.
• Cougar Athletic Fund (CAF)coreOthersThe Cougar Athletic Fund is the primary fundraising arm for WSU Athletics, supporting NIL efforts, premium seating programs, RV parking, and general athletic operations through alumni donations.
• Good MoleculesminorOthersBeauty brand that partners with WSU student-athletes for NIL activations, supporting student-athletes with genuine brand partnerships aligned with their personal values.
• Pac-12 ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSU Athletics competes in the Pac-12 Conference across 18+ sports programs, participating in regular season competitions and postseason tournaments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oregon State Beavers Athletics: Pac-12/former Pac-12 peer athletic department with similar resource profile. Competes in the same conference sports, faces the same realignment environment, and operates with comparable ticket, donor, and sponsorship infrastructure.
• Washington Huskies Athletics: Pac-12 conference peer and historic rival. Operates an equivalent collegiate athletics department model with similar revenue streams (tickets, NIL, premium seating, donor fund) and shares the Apple Cup rivalry with WSU.
• Utah Utes Athletics: Pac-12 (now Big 12) university athletic department. Comparable Power-5 athletics operation with similar revenue model including ticket sales, NIL collective, premium seating, and corporate sponsorships.
• Stanford Cardinal Athletics: Pac-12 university athletic department operating 36 varsity sports with substantial donor and premium revenue. Closely comparable in academic-mission-driven athletics model and NIL program structure, though with larger institutional resources.
• Oregon Ducks Athletics: Fellow Pac-12 Conference member and Power-5 university athletic department. Operates the same mix of 18+ varsity sports, NIL collectives, premium seating, and corporate sponsorship revenue streams at a comparable scale but with a larger metro footprint (Eugene/Portland).

Regional players

• Idaho Vandals Athletics: Regional in-state peer athletic program sharing the same Pacific Northwest market and donor pool. Operates a smaller-scale version of the same collegiate athletics model, useful as a regional-pricing comparable.
• Boise State Broncos Athletics: Regional Power-5-adjacent (now Pac-12 member) athletics program in the Pacific Northwest. Operates a similar football-anchored revenue model in a similarly remote market, making it a strong structural comparator despite different conference history.
• Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics: Pacific Northwest peer athletic department known for men's basketball. Operates with a comparable donor and premium-revenue model within the same regional fan base, providing a useful benchmark for non-football-centric WSU sports.

Broad incumbents

• USC Trojans Athletics: Premier Pac-12 (now Big Ten) university athletic department and historic benchmark for collegiate athletics revenue scale. Demonstrates the upper bound of what Power-5 sponsorship, media rights, and premium seating can generate.
• UCLA Bruins Athletics: Pac-12 (now Big Ten) peer and one of the larger athletic department operations by revenue. Useful as a comparable for media rights value, NIL infrastructure, and big-market sponsorship pricing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MAX__475
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WSUCougarAthletics
• Facebookfacebook.com/WSUCougars
• Instagraminstagram.com/wsucougarfb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Washington State University Athletics