Why Tulane Green Wave fans should be bracing for a decline

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ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 02: Defensive back Jacobe Covington #14 of the USC Trojans dives at wide receiver Duece Watts #2 of the Tulane Green Wave during the fourth quarter of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic football game at AT&T Stadium on January 02, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. The Tulane Green Wave won 46-45. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Just how dangerous is the AAC competition looking?

The first couple of games that should stand out to the Green Wave are road trips to Memphis and East Carolina, as both are coming off of winning seasons. To make matters worse, the former has been quite the source of heartache over the years.

While the Wave has been more competitive with Memphis recently (going as far as to win by two possessions in 2022), the Tigers have often been on the side of victory over the last 30 years or so. From 1990 to now, the two AAC powers have met on 25 separate occasions, with 19 going to Memphis. That leaves Tulane with a whopping six wins in the rivalry’s modern history, and just one of them was on the road (1998). Beyond that, there’s just the 1981 meeting.

With the concept of winning in Memphis being so foreign to the Wave, the Tigers falling to it at home this year is in no way promised. The saddest part is that all that talk was just for one game (technically two if you remember us glossing over ECU). We haven’t even touched on the new opponents yet.

The American Athletic Conference will be adding six new members this summer—Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA—Tulane is set to encounter five of them. Of those five, three are coming off non-losing seasons and two will be at home. The biggest threat of them all will likely be UTSA, as the Roadrunners have gone 23-5 in their last two seasons and have multiple playmakers returning.

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In summary, that leaves a frighteningly weakened Green Wave with a landmine-coated schedule. Does that mean that next year will be a bad one for the team? No, not necessarily. However, will it be another magical one, decorated with iconic moments while sitting underneath a national spotlight? Sounds a bit too good to be true if you ask me.

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