Apparently chastened by criticism of their weenie non-conference schedules in recent years, the Huskies found a solution by going to the top of the industry — a home-and-home series with perennial football power Ohio State in 2024-25.

The Buckeyes agreed to play at Husky Stadium Sept. 14, 2024 and host the University of Washington Sept. 13, 2025.

“Big, early-season matchups between traditional powers is a highlight of every college football season,” Washington head coach Chris Petersen in department statement Thursday. “I’m really excited that we’ll be able to bring the Buckeyes to Seattle for what should be a great September afternoon for Husky fans and college football fans everywhere.”

The Huskies’ non-conference wins in 2016 over Rutgers, Idaho and Portland State were by a combined 148-30, a schedule so weak it nearly kept 12-1 Washington out of its first appearance in the College Football Playoffs, whose whose four teams were chosen by a committee.

Ohio State also made the field, losing 31-0 in the other semifinal after Washington lost to Alabama 24-7.

Ohio State leads the series 8-3. Begun in 1957, the teams last played in 2007 when OSU won 33-14 at Husky Stadium. UW’s last win was in 1994, 25-16 in Seattle.

The only major-conference, non-league opponents the Huskies have played more frequently are Minnesota (17) and Michigan (12).

The Ohio State games are the only games on the Huskies’ non-conference schedules for those two seasons. The rest of the future non-conference bookings:

2018
Sept. 1 vs. Auburn (at Atlanta)
Sept. 8 vs. North Dakota
Sept. 29 vs. BYU

2019
Aug. 31 vs. Eastern Washington
Sept. 14 vs. Hawai’i
Sept. 21 at BYU

2020
Sept. 5 vs. Michigan
Sept. 12 vs. Sacramento State
Sept. 19 vs. Utah State

2021
Sept. 4 vs. Montana
Sept. 18 at Michigan

2024
Sept. 14 vs. Ohio State

2025
Sept. 13 at Ohio State

2027
TBD vs. Nevada