Tulane beats Northwestern 23-3 in opener amid Katrina uniform dispute

Tulane opened the 2025 college football season with a 23-3 victory over Northwestern on Saturday at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, a win that combined a dominant performance on the field with a tense exchange over uniforms tied to the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The Green Wave controlled the game from the start, building a 20-3 halftime lead and finishing with a stout defensive effort that helped force multiple turnovers and limit Northwestern to 237 yards of total offense.

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said the team intended to honor the 2005 squad that played its season on the road after Katrina by wearing plain white uniforms and helmets without decals, mirroring the look of that era. When the request was denied, Sumrall used the decision as motivation. "When you disrespect the city of New Orleans, you are going to run into it," he told reporters after the game. "I wanted them to wear the same exact uniform that that team wore 20 years ago. Request got denied. We might have used that for some extra motivation to represent the city. Don’t disrespect New Orleans, ever."

Tulane instead wore green jerseys with plain green helmets and white pants for the home opener....