Tulane Green Wave run to hype up fans during the second half of the American Conference Championship football game against the North Texas Mean Green at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
Holy, Hullabaloo.
Tulane is going to the College Football Playoff.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Tulane — not Southern Cal, not Florida, not Nebraska — is one of 12 teams that will compete for college football’s national championship. The venerable institution of higher learning better known for its law and academic programs than its athletic teams has earned a berth in college football’s most prestigious event.
The Green Wave punched their CFP ticket with an authoritative 34-21 victory against North Texas in the American Conference championship game Friday night.
The win, before a raucous crowd of 23,986 at a cold, soggy Yulman Stadium, vaulted the Green Wave into the first round of the CFP in two weeks, where they’ll play a yet-to-be-determined opponent on the weekend of Nov. 19-20. We’ll learn who Tulane plays and where on Sunday, when the CFP announces the pairings.
Until then, the Green Wave and the Tulane campus will continue to bask in the glow of the milestone victory, one of the biggest and most significant in school history. The Boot might never close, and for at least two more weeks, the RMFW sweatshirts will continue to fly off the shelves at Campus Connection.
Look how much the American Championship dub means to Tulane fans ❤️ pic.twitter.com/IJMomhbsr0
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 6, 2025
“It’s everything, man,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said to ESPN amid a mob of joyous fans and well-wishers during his postgame interview at midfield. “This whole week felt awesome. I could tell all week they were going to play the way we played tonight. This is a football school. I’m so proud of this university.”
“It’s surreal,” added safety Jack Tchienchou, who was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player after recording an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a game-high 9 tackles. “We worked so hard for this. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”
It was one of those magical nights where everything went Tulane’s way. Every break and bounce of the ball, each replay review and official’s call. A wayward Tulane punt bounced off the backside of a North Texas player inside his team’s 20-yard line, gift-wrapping a touchdown to the Green Wave. A tipped pass found the waiting arms of Tulane linebacker Chris Rodgers, who returned it 35 yards for another touchdown. It was that kind of night.
North Texas scored a touchdown on its opening drive, then watched the Green Wave reel off 31 unanswered points to seize command and remove all drama from the contest.
Even Mother Nature appeared to be wearing olive and blue. Shortly after Tulane opened up a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, the heavens opened and swamped North Texas’ offense, which entered the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring and total offense.
Not that the Tulane defense needed much help. The Green Wave sacked North Texas’ splendid freshmen quarterback, Drew Mestemaker, five times and intercepted him three other times to fuel the onslaught. They added two fumble recoveries to the ledger.
It was a win executed in classic Sumrall fashion, where the Green Wave dominated both lines of scrimmage and produced the game-changing plays on defense and special teams needed to prevail.
“Football is still a physical game,” said Sumrall, the former linebacker coming out in him through his raspy voice. “Hats off to our guys on both sides of the line of scrimmage for being the more physical team.”
The dominant defensive effort, combined with a balanced and efficient offensive attack led by running back Jamauri McClure’s 121 yards rushing, was more than enough for the Green Wave to record its five consecutive win and fourth straight by a double-digit margin.
If the Tulane defense can carry over its performance to the CFP, the Green Wave will prove to be a handful for whoever they play. It’ll take that kind of effort for them to avoid a one-and-done on the road against what is likely to be a top 10 opponent.
Still, that Tulane reached college football’s most prestigious event with its head coach already working part-time for the University of Florida and before traditional powers like Southern Cal, Florida, Nebraska and Miami have earned a spot in the tournament is one of the best stories in college football. It’s certainly the story for local fans, who otherwise haven’t had much to cheer for this football season.
“It’s an incredible opportunity we have in front of us, and that’s all you can ask for frankly in life,” said Retzlaff, who plans to watch the CFP selection show with teammates at a watch party on Sunday. “Sunday is going to be a fun day. Obviously, we know we’re expected to see our logo pop up (during the show). There’s going to be a lot of smiles around this building because we’ve got a great opportunity in us.”
There was a time not long ago when the notion of Tulane making it to the big football dance would have been folly. But the Green Wave program has gradually built towards this moment over the last half-decade, accumulating bowl wins, conference championships and victories over Power Four programs to bolster its confidence and bona fides.
Sumrall, in fact, predicted a night like this would happen. At his introductory press conference two years ago, he vowed to lead the Green Wave to conference championships and the College Football Playoff.
“I believed in what we could create here as a team,” Sumrall said. “This is a special place. This place is the type of place that great people want to be a part of it. I was trying to get people to believe in the vision. And that’s what we’re about to do.”
The win means at least another two weeks of double duty for Sumrall, who plans to travel to Florida for three days next week to mind business at UF before returning to New Orleans on Tuesday to begin preparations at Tulane for the CFP.
“I love these guys, and I’m so proud of this team,” Sumrall said during the postgame trophy ceremony. “We’re going to stick around and finish the job.”
For Sumrall, it’ll be two more weeks of multi-tasking, energy drinks and charter flights. He’ll gladly endure the lack of sleep and extended wait to start his Florida residency. The biggest game in Tulane history awaits.
