Tulane opened its 2025 football season with a dominant 23-3 win over Northwestern on Saturday, but head coach Jon Sumrall revealed afterward that the Green Wave were denied a symbolic tribute to the program’s 2005 team.
Friday marked the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall in New Orleans, one of the worst natural disasters in American history. More than 1,000 people died, and Tulane’s football program was forced to play the entire 2005 season on the road. The Green Wave opened that campaign in white jerseys without helmet decals, a look that has come to represent the team’s perseverance in the aftermath of the storm.
Tulane players honored that history by going without decals on their helmets Saturday. But Sumrall said Northwestern rejected a request for the Wave to wear their white jerseys to fully replicate the 2005 uniforms.
“We wanted to wear white in tribute to those guys,” Sumrall said via NOLA.com's Jeff Duncan. “Northwestern denied the request.” Northwestern wore its traditional white road uniforms, while Tulane took the field in its standard home greens.
Jon Sumrall said he requested to wear white jerseys, the same uniforms the 2005 Tulane team wore in its first game after Katrina, and Northwestern denied the request, forcing them to wear green. Sumrall: “When you disrespect the city of New Orleans, you’re going to run into it.…
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) August 30, 2025
A Northwestern source confirmed to The Inside Zone's Matt Fortuna that Tulane made the request on Aug. 17. NCAA rules require the home team to designate its uniform color, though jersey arrangements are typically settled months in advance.
Per a Northwestern source, Tulane’s request to wear white jerseys was made to the Wildcats on Aug. 17.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) August 30, 2025
Jerseys are typically agreed upon months before a game. https://t.co/OeyuX9zaet
In 2005, Katrina devastated the Louisiana Superdome and forced the cancellation of the fall semester. The Wave played in six different stadiums that season, opening with a Sept. 17 loss at Mississippi State. The road uniforms from that game became a lasting symbol of pride for the program and city.
On the field Saturday, Tulane overpowered Northwestern. The Green Wave defense forced five turnovers, intercepting Wildcats quarterback Preston Stone four times while holding him under five yards per attempt. Tulane outgained Northwestern 421-237 and scored 20 first-half points to take control early.
Quarterback Jake Retzlaff shined in his Tulane debut. The BYU transfer accounted for two touchdowns, throwing for 152 yards and rushing for 113 more on 10 carries.
Retzlaff, who left BYU after facing an honor code suspension, transferred to Tulane over the summer and immediately stepped into the starting role. His performance gave Sumrall reason to believe the Green Wave can contend for the Group of Five bid in the expanded College Football Playoff.
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