Are WSU's high media numbers legit?
More or less. Here are their conference games from the last three years:
11/13/2021 WSU UO 10:30 ESPN 1.99
9/25/2021 WSU Utah 2:30 P12N -
10/30/2021 WSU ASU 3:00 FS1 0.34
10/2/2021 WSU Cal 5:30 P12N -
10/16/2021 Stanford WSU 7:30 ESPNU 0.21
9/18/2021 USC WSU 6:30 Fox 1.58
11/19/2021 UA WSU 9:00 P12N -
10/9/2021 OSU WSU 4:00 P12N -
11/26/2021 WSU UW 8:00 FS1 1.21
11/29/2019 WSU UW 4:00 Fox 2.85
9/28/2019 WSU Utah 10:00 FS1 0.67
10/26/2019 WSU UO 10:30 ESPN 1.9
10/19/2019 CU WSU 7:00 ESPNU 0.27
11/9/2019 WSU Cal 7:00 P12N -
9/21/2019 UCLA WSU 10:30 ESPN 1.39
11/16/2019 Stanford WSU 4:30 P12N -
11/23/2019 OSU WSU 9:00 P12N -
10/12/2019 WSU ASU 3:30 P12N -
9/21/2018 WSU USC 10:30 ESPN 1.64
10/6/2018 WSU OSU 9:00 P12N -
10/27/2018 WSU Stanford 7:00 P12N -
9/29/2018 Utah WSU 6:30 P12N -
11/10/2018 WSU CU 3:30 ESPN 1.3
11/23/2018 UW WSU 8:30 FOX 4.1
10/20/2018 UO WSU 7:30 FOX 2.59
11/17/2018 UA WSU 10:30 ESPN 1.59
11/3/2018 Cal WSU 10:45 ESPN 1.5
They've benefited quite a bit from After Dark games -- playing in the late spot for 5 out of their 14 "countable" games. 4 of those games were on ESPN mothership, 1 on FS1. Their 2018 campaign (where they were good) legit drew really good numbers. Their (#10) 2018 primetime game against UW (#13) was huge -- drawing a 4.1. That was the third highest rated conference game for the Pac in those three years.
Being in the north and getting to play Washington and Oregon (and having a really good year baked in) helps.