Tulane Green Wave football checks in at the highest ranking in the American Conference and second among all G5 programs.
There are 138 football programs at the FBS level, which makes it nearly impossible to weigh all teams against one another in the way the NFL does. However, there are certainly tiers – most notably between the G5 and Power Four level – and the Tulane Green Wave football team fall in the upper echelon of the one they’re in.
USA Today released a ranking of all 138 teams in FBS that re-did the order following spring practice. It’s all but useless to judge programs off of last season with the influx of NIL and the transfer portal making player movement a given for every program. That said, those seasons are what programs bake into their recruiting pitches and build future classes off of, and the Green Wave have received a lot of shine for their historic run last season that included a second American Conference championship and the program’s first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.
They did suffer a lot of turnover, and for that, there is a bit of unknown for next year’s squad, including the most important role on the field at quarterback. Tulane came in at No. 32 in the rankings, which is the second-highest G5 program ranking behind the Boise State Broncos, and the highest in the American Conference.
They sit one spot above the Duke Blue Devils, who the Green Wave will open the season on the road against. Notably, their other Power Four opponent, the Kansas State Wildcats, slotted in at No. 47 on the list. JMU is also one to watch in the CFP race now, and they came in at No. 34.
But in terms of opponents for Tulane next season, those are two top 50 ones off the bat. The next highest in the American are the Navy Midshipmen at No. 46, who unfortunately, the Wave won’t face next season. The next highest is the USF Bulls at No. 60, who Tulane will close the year out against, followed by Memphis Tigers at No. 73, UTSA Roadrunners at No. 78, and Army Black Knights at No. 80.
The UNT Mean Green surprisingly slid all the way to No. 98. They did incur a ton of turnover with the departure of Eric Morris to coach at Oklahoma State, starting with quarterback Chandler Morris and a ton of his targets. Tulane also lost their starting quarterback and a lot of pass catchers, but that didn’t seem to ding them nearly anywhere close to North Texas.
All of this only goes so far as preseason fodder before cleats hit the turf in September. But perceptions go a long way for program visibility through the season, and it’s good to see that Tulane is already starting out strong atop the G5.