Tulane had established itself as the premier dynasty of the American Conference in the 2020s.
From 2022-25, the Green Wave qualified for the conference championship in all four seasons, hosted the event three times, and captured two titles. In 2022, they earned an iconic victory in the Cotton Bowl to finish No. 9 in the country before securing a berth in the College Football Playoff in 2025, earning their second ranked finish in four years.
But 2026 has brought a dramatic downturn for the proud program.
In a matchup between two 4-4 teams, Tulane suffered a humiliating 60-10 defeat to Tulsa on its home turf. In fact, the score was 60-3 before Bredell Richardson scored the Green Wave’s lone touchdown with exactly one second remaining, capping a dismal afternoon in front of an crowd that shrunk from over 27,000 spectators to a couple hundred.
The 50 points of separation marked Tulane’s largest margin of defeat in American Conference play and its most lopsided loss since falling 65-10 to Georgia Tech in 2015.
Several hours after the game, Tulane athletic director David Harris released a statement apologizing for the performance and taking accountability for the program’s recent shortcomings. Harris called the display shown Saturday at Yulman Stadium “unacceptable” and acknowledged the frustration that echoed throughout the Tulane community:
“Today’s performance by our football program was unacceptable, and far below the standard that we have come to expect in recent years. I understand the frustration and disappointment that our supporters feel. I am embarrassed by what transpired on the field in front of our student-athletes’ families, alumni, fans and the entire Tulane community. While any loss is difficult to accept, today’s defeat was particularly alarming given the point differential. Our play was not representative of the work, discipline and sacrifice made by those who established the standard we expect from Tulane Football.
Earlier this week, I relayed through a podcast interview that this season has not met the expectations of our department. With at least three games remaining in our season, our responsibility is to respond with urgency. Our student-athletes and staff have owned what happened, will evaluate it thoroughly and show meaningful improvement in the work ahead.
I am accountable for Tulane Athletics and the performance of our teams. I accept that responsibility and take it very seriously. We will continue to make an investment in our football program that matches the expectations we have for its success. Our team is focused on preparing for its next opportunity against Rice and a strong finish to the season.“
Tulsa dominated from the opening kickoff, building a 46-0 lead through three quarters before Tulane finally got on the scoreboard. The Golden Hurricane, which had only won two of their 16 previous conference matchups, out-gained the Green Wave 562-204, creating a staggering 467-90 advantage through the first three frames.
Tulane fell to 4-5 in its first season under head coach Will Hall, who previously served as the program’s offensive coordinator from 2019-20 and passing game coordinator in 2025. Hall worked as an assistant under the previous successful head coaching regimes of Willie Fritz and Jon Sumrall.
Prior to this season, the Green Wave had not lost multiple conference games since 2021. Suffering their third American defeat of 2026, their conference championship qualification streak is almost certain to end. Bowl eligibility remains attainable, but Tulane must recover from its complete collapse and earn two wins against its remaining slate of Rice, North Texas, and South Florida.
