Tulane Green Wave football is riding momentum that has translated into landmark numbers raised, showing the benefits of sustained success.
The Tulane Green Wave football program has found a formula for sustained success, highlighted by their 45 wins in the last five seasons. That coincides with the NIL era of college football, and the Green Wave are tied for the 15th-most wins in that span in the nation. It all culminated with their second American Conference Championship and first-ever berth to the College Football Playoff – one that came with an $8.1 million purse for Tulane. In a letter written to Green Wave fans by athletic director David Harris, he announced several financial landmarks for the program after the last season.
Tulane has received more major gifts since July than the entire previous 12 months. After the Green Wave knocked off the Memphis Tigers on Nov. 7 in a major road upset, that momentum translated into more fundraising. From Nov. 12 to Dec. 16, Tulane received $1.68 million from 519 donors, marking an 83-percent increase in donors and a 373-percent increase in funds raised. That stretch all correlates with the Green Wave’s historic run to the CFP, and it’s the type of funds needed to keep building and upgrading infrastructure and other football operations.
Importantly, for the first time since the massive financial payout from the CFP was announced, Harris directly confirmed that the CFP payout, fundraising from the Green Wave Club, and the buyout of former coach Jon Sumrall are being invested back “with a primary focus of sustaining and building on our championship-caliber football program.” That includes the opening of the Green Wave Indoor Practice Facility, anticipated for March.
Tulane is looking at around $10 million in financial benefits from the last season. That is necessary for them to keep competing and contend for the CFP again, particularly after it was announced that the G5 representative no longer has to win their conference. That could lead to some messy grey areas, but it could also end up helping the Green Wave should they not win the conference. In addition to playing the Duke Blue Devils and Kansas State Wildcats out of conference, they have a tough slate of American opponents in 2026.
Tulane will host the Tigers, North Texas Mean Green, Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, and UTSA Roadrunners. They will hit the road against the Army Black Knights, Charlotte 49ers, Rice Owls, and South Florida Bulls. Last season, the Green Wave didn’t play the Bulls or the Mean Green in conference play, and with them both in the conference championship game conference, it made it hard to weigh them against those teams. The marquee games will be Memphis, North Texas, should they rebuild, Black Knights, and Bulls – the latter two on the road.
But the Green Wave are looking to make their fifth straight conference appearance, and that consecutive streak has translated to monetary success that should help fuel a continuous run of the conference.