Washington State Football: Cougars Slated for ESPNU Opening Week Vs Auburn

Aug 30, 2012; Provo, UT, USA; Washington State Cougars mascot prepares to lead the team out onto the field before a game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Washington State and Auburn will mutually kick off their seasons under the late evening lights of Jordan Hare on August 31st, that part we already knew. What has just recently been revealed is what the rest of the nation will be watching the game on; ESPNU.

The game is now slated for 7 pm est, which amounts to 4 pm here on the West Coast.

It’s tough to gauge the excitement level for this game as of yet, as we’re still 6 plus weeks away and Fall camp hasn’t quite begun. Last season at this time a lot of Cougar-faithful were reserving their time off work for a game in December after the hiring of Mike Leach and a promising (albeit extremely young) squad returning plenty from the year before.

By about halftime of the opening BYU game, it was clear there was going to be a major growing pain in Leach’s first season. This year the expectations have been far more tempered, with more anticipation of improvement than anticipation of wins. Still, a victory in SEC country on the national stage would change all of that, regardless of the fact that Auburn is coming off of one of their most historically disappointing seasons.