It is unfortunate that Group of Five programs can’t finish out the regular season in college football without drama surrounding their head coach, and for the Tulane Green Wave, they’ll have to endure that for yet another season as they look to close out their regular finale the right way against the Charlotte 49ers.

Again, there’s a bit of a credibility issue with On3 Sports reporting about Sumrall’s future, with them incorrectly reporting about a meeting that was never scheduled with the Florida Gators. But Pete Nakos reported Friday that Lane Kiffin’s decision has narrowed down to staying at Ole Miss or going to the LSU Tigers, and that he’s out with the Florida Gators. Their new target is reportedly Sumrall.

Pete Thamel of ESPN also reported Friday that Sumrall is expected to make a decision on his future on Sunday morning following the team’s final season game against the 49ers, with a berth to hosting the American Conference Championship on the line, adding that his decision will be between staying at Tulane, and other opportunities that include Florida and Auburn.

Local beat writer Guerry Smith also confirmed these reports on X.

That at least gives the players an opportunity to close their season right without narratives surrounding their coach’s next destination, which absolutely still includes the Green Wave. But as many have pointed out, when a head coach makes that decision in advance, the television broadcast of that upcoming game turns into a bit of a circus where the program being promoted isn’t the one playing on the screen at all. It’ll likely still be a bit of an unfortunate circus of coverage, one that can’t be avoided.

But compared to the North Texas Mean Green, the focus on Saturday at least should be expected to be, and should be, on the Tulane players finishing their season as they look to cap off 10 wins. It should be on the seniors who have stuck with a program through a 2-10 season, or since the Cotton Bowl with a coaching change, in an era of college football with NIL and the transfer portal that makes that type of foundation unheard of.

It should be on an offense that had a starting quarterback show up on campus a week before training camp, and proceed to lead a team to a potential spot in the College Football Playoff should the team win out. It should be on a defense that had to replace three defensive backs now in the NFL with players who barely have had any collegiate snaps, or on a linebacker corp that lost one starter for the season and the team’s biggest leader for a multi-game stretch in Sam Howard. It should be on the best kicker the program has had since Cairo Santos in Patrick Durkin.

Delaying this decision and subsequent media firestorm at least gives that notion a chance.