Tulane University

:Due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane University has suspended all classes for the fall 2005 semester.

Athletics

Tulane is a member of Conference USA in athletics and fields NCAA Division I teams in 16 sports. The team nickname is the Green Wave, a nickname adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. Prior to that, the teams were known officially as "The Olive and Blue" and unofficially referred to as "The Greenies" or "The Greenbacks."

Related Topics:
Conference USA - NCAA - Green Wave - 1920 - Tulane's student newspaper

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Football

Tulane's earliest athletic traditions are tied to its football team, which began playing in 1893 and hit its stride in 1900 with a perfect 5-0 season, beating the Southern Athletic Club, Alabama, Millsaps, LSU, and Ole Miss. In a 1912 game against Southwestern Louisiana, Tulane set records of 15 rushing touchdowns and 95 points that still stand. In 1925 the Green Wave again went undefeated, with only a tie against Missouri to blemish its record. The administration declined a Rose Bowl invitation, however, in order to keep the students in class. The next year saw the completion of a new stadium on campus. Tulane's third and fourth perfect regular seasons came in 1929 and 1931, with a single loss to Northwestern in Chicago, Illinois marring the 1930 campaign. The 1931 team did go to the Rose Bowl, losing 21-12 to USC.

Related Topics:
1893 - 1900 - Alabama - Millsaps - LSU - Ole Miss - 1912 - 1925 - Missouri - Rose Bowl - 1929 - 1931 - Northwestern - Chicago, Illinois - 1930

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In 1933 Tulane joined the Southeastern Conference as a charter member. In 1939 the team completed its fifth unbeaten season losing a close 14-13 battle to Texas A&M University in the Sugar Bowl. Tulane left the SEC in 1966 amid a long series of disappointing campaigns. They had some success in the 1970s with three bowl invitations in the decade.

Related Topics:
1933 - Southeastern Conference - 1939 - Texas A&M University - Sugar Bowl - 1966 - 1970s

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Tulane's football program started fresh with a new conference in 1996 and a new coach, Tommy Bowden in 1997. Bowden's second year brought about Tulane's sixth perfect season and the first since 1931. Quarterback Shaun King led the wave to a 12-0 record and a final No. 7 national ranking. Despite a perfect regular season, the Green Wave was not invited to a BCS bowl game — an event which contributed to questions about how college football championships and revenues are managed.

Related Topics:
1996 - Tommy Bowden - 1997 - Shaun King - BCS

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Men's basketball

Tulane's men's basketball program fell victim to one of the biggest scandals of the 1980s in college sports when four players, including star guard John "Hot Rod" Williams were accused of taking money and cocaine to alter the final point spreads of games they played in. Clyde Eads and Jon Johnson were granted immunity and testified against Williams, the alleged ringleader. Although he was indicted, the judge eventually declared a mistrial and no sentence was handed down. Williams spent the next nine years with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Following the scandal, Tulane's administration decided to disband the men's basketball program. It was resurrected four years later under new head coach Perry Clark who rapidly rebuilt the program to unprecedented success, including a 1991 season that started 13-0 and ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Related Topics:
1980s - John "Hot Rod" Williams - Cocaine - NBA - Cleveland Cavaliers - Perry Clark - 1991 - NCAA Tournament

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Baseball

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The last few years have seen Tulane's college baseball team consistently ranked among the best in the nation.

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Athletics reform

In 2003 the University undertook a comprehensive review of its athletics department commitments in light of the long term goals and mission of the school. The outcome of the review was a renewed commitment to fielding a strong Division I athletic program, but also a resolution to make Tulane a model program in terms of academic performance, graduation rates, financial viability, and support for the overall university mission. (In 2003 Tulane's graduation rate for student-athletes stood at 79%, ranking 14th among all Division I programs.)

Related Topics:
2003

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To that end, President Scott Cowen began a dialogue with other university presidents calling for a change to the existing system that rewards established powers at the expense of less successful programs. His criticisms, in particular of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in football, led to the creation of the Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform and opened the door for hearings on college athletics revenues in the Senate Judiciary Committee in October 2003. On February 29, 2004 the BCS met in Miami, Florida and agreed to amend revenue distribution and open the series to more opportunities for non-BCS teams.

Related Topics:
Bowl Championship Series - Football - Presidential Coalition for Athletics Reform - Senate Judiciary Committee - February 29 - 2004 - Miami, Florida

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