Tradition returns to the football field with 2021 Boeing Apple Cup

A light Seattle drizzle ceased just in time for kickoff of the 2021 Boeing Apple Cup football game.

After the pandemic put last year’s game on pause, fans were clearly excited to be back at Husky Stadium as this year’s host team, University of Washington (UW), took on cross-state rival Washington State University (WSU).

Boeing has long been a sponsor of the historic football matchup – along with the expanded Boeing Apple Cup Series, which includes sponsorship of all of men’s and women’s sporting matchups between UW and WSU.

Boeing employs thousands of graduates from both schools, which makes the sponsorship the perfect fit.

“I love that Boeing is the supporter of the Apple Cup because Boeing is Washington state,” said April Johnson, senior development director of WSU West, Murrow College of Communication. “Boeing is filled with Huskies and Cougars, and it is just perfect to have Boeing be the sponsor.”

Michelle Carey is a UW alumna of mechanical engineering and is now an engineering leader within Boeing Commercial Airlines. “It’s really important for us to give back to our community, and what better way to do that than through the Apple Cup?” she said. “For me, I grew up bleeding purple, going to every home game here, every Apple Cup that was here.”

Boeing employees got to participate in some major game moments too.  Executives Steve Chisholm and Craig Bomben, graduates of UW and WSU, respectively, supervised the pregame coin toss and assisted in awarding the Apple Cup trophy to Washington State University following a 40-13 victory.

No matter who you are rooting for, the Boeing Apple Cup Series is a time-honored tradition that both Huskies and Cougars can get behind.

“Our daughter is getting the Husky traditions and the Cougar traditions all blended together, and as she says, no matter what happens, she wins, because no matter what, we’re happy,” said Johnson.