Washington State Cougars baseball is not owned by a billionaire or a private ownership group. It is a varsity program run by Washington State University, a public land grant university based in Pullman, Washington.
So the honest answer to who owns the Cougars points to a governing board, a university president, and a chain of athletic department staff rather than a single owner.
The program also carries real history. Washington State reached the College World Series four times, including a runner up finish in 1950, and later produced big league names like John Olerud.
At the same time, the Cougars spent recent seasons in a position almost no other program has faced, playing without a home conference after the old Pac 12 fell apart around them.
So who is actually in charge, how does the money work, and where will Washington State play next? Here is the full picture, fact checked and current for 2026.
| Program | Washington State Cougars Baseball |
| Governing Institution | Washington State University, a public university in Pullman, Washington |
| Athletic Director | Jon Haarlow, Vice President and Director of Athletics |
| Head Coach | Nathan Choate, extended through the 2031 season |
| Conference | Mountain West affiliate for baseball in 2026, joining the rebuilt Pac 12 for baseball starting in 2027 |
| Founded | Program records date back to 1892 |
| Home Stadium | Bailey Brayton Field, capacity 3,500 |
| Ownership Type | Public University Athletic Department / Board of Regents |
Table of Contents
Who Legally Owns Washington State Cougars Baseball
Unlike an NFL franchise or a soccer club, Washington State Cougars baseball has no shareholders and no purchase price. It is a department within a state funded public university, so ownership in the traditional business sense simply does not apply. If you want to see how ownership actually works for a private league, our breakdown of who owns the NFL is a useful contrast.
Legal title to the athletic facilities, the Cougars name, and the program budget sits with Washington State University itself, which in turn answers to the state of Washington through its Board of Regents.
Washington State University: The Public Institution Behind the Program
Washington State University was founded in 1890 and is a public land grant research university located in Pullman, Washington. It is one of the largest public universities in the state and oversees dozens of varsity sports through its athletic department.
The university is led by President Elizabeth Cantwell, who took office in April 2025 and oversees every academic and athletic unit on campus, including baseball.
The Washington State Board of Regents and Athletic Governance
The Washington State Board of Regents is the governing body of the university, made up of members appointed by the governor of Washington. Regents set policy, approve major budget items, and hold ultimate oversight of the entire institution, including intercollegiate athletics.
Day to day control of baseball flows downward from that board through the university president to the athletic director and finally to the head coach, as shown below.
University President
Director of Athletics
Head Baseball Coach
Meet the Leadership: Athletic Director and Head Coach
Jon Haarlow was named full time Vice President and Director of Athletics in April 2026, after serving in an interim capacity. He now oversees every sport in the department, including hiring authority for baseball. You can track current rankings and results on ESPN college baseball coverage of Washington State.
Nathan Choate took over as head baseball coach in June 2023, just weeks before the old conference collapsed around him. He signed a contract extension in June 2026 that runs through the 2031 season, a reward for guiding the Cougars to their first postseason appearance since 2010.
Bailey Brayton Field: The Home of Cougar Baseball
The Cougars play home games at Bailey Brayton Field, a longtime fixture of Pullman athletics that seats about 3,500 fans. The stadium is named for two of the most influential coaches in program history, Buck Bailey and Chuck Brayton, whose combined tenure spanned decades of Cougar baseball.
You can check current rosters, schedules, and facility details directly on the official Washington State Athletics baseball site.
A Storied History: College World Series Runs and Program Milestones
Washington State baseball built its national reputation across the middle of the twentieth century and has spent the last few seasons navigating one of the biggest realignment stories in college sports. A short timeline captures both eras.
Washington State reaches its first College World Series final, falling to Texas.
The Cougars win the NCAA West Regional and make their final trip to the College World Series to date.
Nathan Choate is hired as head coach just before the old conference begins to fall apart.
The old Pac 12 dissolves after a wave of departures, leaving Washington State and Oregon State as the only remaining full members.
Washington State baseball secures a temporary Mountain West affiliate home for the sport after months of uncertainty.
A rebuilt Pac 12 officially launches with ten full members while Washington State earns its first postseason baseball berth since 2010.
For a deeper archive of past rosters and season by season results, see the full Washington State Cougars baseball history on Wikipedia.
How Washington State Cougars Baseball Is Funded
Because Washington State is a public university, baseball funding comes from a mix of ticket sales, donor gifts, licensed merchandise, and money that flows through the broader athletic department budget rather than a single owner writing checks.
The Cougar Athletic Fund and other boosters supply a meaningful share of that budget, especially for facility upkeep at Bailey Brayton Field and for coaching staff salaries, while the university itself covers scholarships and academic support for every athlete on the roster.
The House v NCAA Settlement and NIL Impact on Washington State Athletics
The House v NCAA settlement approved in 2025 allows universities to share athletic revenue directly with athletes for the first time, on top of existing name, image, and likeness deals. Washington State now budgets for direct payments to athletes across its sports, baseball included, alongside its existing NIL collective support through groups tied to the Cougar Athletic Fund.
That new financial obligation landed at the same time Washington State lost the guaranteed media revenue that came with full Pac 12 membership, so the athletic department has had to cover both a realignment gap and new athlete payments in the same stretch of years.
Is Washington State Doing A Good Job Running The Cougars Baseball Program: Is The Investment Really Worth It
On the positive side, Washington State has turned a genuinely difficult few years into a real on field improvement. Nathan Choate led the Cougars to a 27 win season and a second place Mountain West finish, along with the program first postseason trip since 2010, all while playing outside a traditional home conference.
The university also deserves credit for stability at the top, securing a Mountain West affiliate home for baseball within months of the old conference collapsing, rather than leaving the program to schedule entirely as an independent the way some peer schools were forced to do.
On the other hand, the financial picture is genuinely strained. Losing full Pac 12 media revenue, absorbing new House settlement payments to athletes, and covering travel costs tied to an affiliate schedule all hit the athletic budget at once. Fans and boosters spent two full seasons watching the program compete without knowing exactly where it would land long term.
Whether the investment is worth it depends on the next season. If the 2027 move into rebuilt Pac 12 baseball delivers a stable schedule and better revenue, the rough patch will look like a smart bridge strategy. If not, boosters and fans will have a fair case to question the pace of the rebuild.
What Conference Will The Washington State Cougars Baseball Program Play In For 2026
For the 2026 season, Washington State baseball competed as a Mountain West affiliate member, the same status it held in 2025. That arrangement let the Cougars play a full conference slate for baseball specifically, unlike some peer programs that scheduled entirely as independents.
That is separate from the rest of Washington State athletics. The rebuilt Pac 12 officially launched as a full conference on July 1, 2026, adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State, and Utah State to Washington State and Oregon State across most sports.
Baseball is the exception. Seven schools, including Washington State, Oregon State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State, Fresno State, and baseball affiliate Dallas Baptist, are set to begin official Pac 12 baseball play starting with the 2027 season. Details on scheduling and a conference tournament were still being finalized as of this writing, according to regional reporting on the transition. Our companion piece on who owns the Oregon State Beavers baseball program covers the other school that lived through this same stretch of uncertainty.
Frequently Asked Questions About Washington State Cougars Baseball Ownership
Who owns Washington State Cougars baseball?
No individual or company owns the program. Washington State University, a public institution overseen by the Washington State Board of Regents, governs the team as part of its athletic department.
Who is the head coach of Washington State Cougars baseball?
Nathan Choate has served as head coach since June 2023 and signed a contract extension in June 2026 that runs through the 2031 season, following a breakthrough postseason run.
What conference does Washington State baseball play in?
Washington State baseball competed as a Mountain West affiliate for the 2026 season. The program is scheduled to begin play in the rebuilt Pac 12 as a baseball conference starting with the 2027 season, joining six other schools in that arrangement.
How is Washington State Cougars baseball funded?
Funding comes from university support, ticket revenue, donor gifts through groups like the Cougar Athletic Fund, and a share of the athletic department budget, now combined with new direct athlete payments tied to the House v NCAA settlement. Private sports organizations run very differently, since they answer to owners and shareholders rather than a public Board of Regents.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.