The Tulane Green Wave football team is on the cusp of making history, positioning themselves as a serious contender for a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff (CFP).
Fueled by a culture of winning established over the past few years, the 2025 season has seen the Green Wave maintain their status as the top-ranked Group of Five (G5) program, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
Tulane has clinched a berth in the American Athletic Conference Championship Game for a conference-record fourth straight season, which is being called a de facto "CFP play-in Game". The Green Wave, ranked No. 20, is set to face the No. 24 North Texas Mean Green. Victory in this title game would all but guarantee Tulane the AAC crown and, crucially, the automatic bid for the highest-ranked G5 conference champion.
The 10-2 Green Wave is facing a North Texas Mean Green sitting pretty at 11-1. Texas strength runs through its offensive which has put up 50 or more points in the last three games. North Texas are currently a -2.5 favourite heading into the game and its generally expected to be a high scoring affair between two offensive minded teams.
While these numbers are daunting, two of North Texas wins have been close overtime finishes, one of which against an Army team that Tulane easily dispensed with.
Losing the game would not only cost them the conference title but also eliminate any realistic chance for an at-large bid, as they would no longer be a conference champion and their ranking would likely drop too low.
Regardless of the outcome of the AAC Championship, this season marks a continuation of one of the most successful periods in Tulane football history. Under head coach Jon Sumrall, the program has cemented its status as a consistent winner, attracting national attention and building upon past successes, such as their dramatic victory in the 2023 Cotton Bowl.
The opportunity to compete for a national championship is now within reach. Should Tulane secure the conference title, they are projected to land one of the lower seeds in the 12-team field, likely traveling to face a higher-seeded Power 4 program in the first round. For the Green Wave faithful, the mantra is simple: Win and you're in. The team stands ready toprove that the road to the College Football Playoff runs right through New Orleans.