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Summer 2023

License plates

Alumni News
Winter 2017

The #1 license plate

Driving around the state of Washington, Cougar license plates are impossible to miss. In fact, they are the number one specialty license plate on the road, dwarfing all others. What many do not know is that these crimson plates mean a lot more than just Cougar Pride; with $28 of each plate supporting WSU student scholarships, this program raised over $600,000 last year.

Since the WSU Alumni Association assumed responsibility for managing the license plate program and launching its cool crimson plate design, the program has exploded. Today, the Cougar plate is proudly displayed on nearly 23,000 vehicles (and counting!). The growth of this program … » More …

Alumni News
Winter 2016

Road rave

We have a bunch of ways to express our pride: waving the flag, joining the Alumni Association, yelling “Go Cougs!” But considering how much time we spend in our vehicles, what better way to tell the world you’re an alum than a crimson Washington State University license plate?

You certainly won’t be alone. WSU plates outnumber every other specialty plate in the state, and can be spotted all over the Northwest. Almost 21,000 plates grace the roads and highways—more than all state collegiate plates combined, and more than twice as many as the University of Washington.

It’s not just about pride. Each license plate sends … » More …

Jeff Groat with cougar license plate “ARRRGH.”
Summer 2013

Cougars pounce on new plates

Frequent sightings of the new Cougar license plates all around Washington prove that the WSU Alumni Association’s three-year endeavor to get the plate approved has paid off.

Since the release of the crimson-colored plates with the WSU Cougar logo in January 2012, more than 7,000 alumni and friends have purchased them. More than half are first time WSU plate holders, 4,200 and counting.

That’s good news for Cougar fans and even better news for students. The new plates have generated more than $110,000 in new scholarships.

While many sport letters and numbers assigned by the state, a number of Cougs and fans have doubled up … » More …

Alumni News
Spring 2012

Renewing your plates

Get Your “Crimson to Go”
New Cougar Plates Hit the Road

For several years the Washington State University Alumni Association has had designs on a new WSU license plate. This January, plans to replace the blue, white, and Cougar logo plate with an all-crimson plate came through. Now alumni and friends can license their cars, show their affinity for WSU, and raise money for scholarships.

The first Cougar license plate was introduced in 1995 to wide appeal. About 3,000 sold in the first few months of the program. By 2000, that number had … » More …