Tulane University announced its 2026 football schedule on Feb. 26, highlighting a season that will begin with an away game against Duke, the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion. The Green Wave, who are the reigning American Athletic Conference champions, will play their first game of the season on Saturday, September 5.
The new schedule is important for fans and supporters as it features several rematches from previous seasons and key conference games that could impact Tulane’s standing in the league.
The home opener is set for September 12 against South Alabama. This follows last year’s close contest between the two teams where Tulane won by two points in Mobile. On September 19, Tulane travels to Kansas State, nearly four years after securing a win there during the 2022 campaign. The non-conference portion concludes at home against Southern Miss on September 26 in what will serve as Hall of Fame game and marks the first Battle for the Bell since their last meeting in Hattiesburg.
After an open date on October 3, Tulane resumes play at Army on October 10 before returning home to host Memphis under Friday night lights on October 16. The team then hosts UTSA on October 24; last year UTSA defeated Tulane in San Antonio. Other notable games include a trip to Charlotte on October 30 and hosting Tulsa for Homecoming November 7—a matchup that saw Tulane victorious last year.
The Green Wave’s November schedule continues with road games at Rice and South Florida and a home match against North Texas—a rematch of last year’s American Championship game which secured Tulane its second league crown in four years. The regular season wraps up either November 27 or November 28 at South Florida.
Tulane has appeared in four consecutive American Championship Games—a record within the conference—and looks to continue this streak when this year’s title contest takes place December 5. Start times for all games will be announced later.
