The college football season began in earnest over Labor Day weekend, as hundreds of teams took to the field for the first time.
Northwestern and Tulane were among the schools to meet on the gridiron, and the Green Wave got the better of their opponents with a 23-3 win on home turf.
Some attributed Tulane’s win to home field advantage over their opponents from the Big Ten, but Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall appeared to have a specific issue with his opponent.
Why Did Tulane Want White Uniforms?
The Green Wave wanted to wear white as a tribute to the city of New Orleans – marking the 20-year remembrance of the devastating Hurricane Katrina.
The Green Wave wore white jerseys with green helmets in their first game post-Katrina in 2005, and the team wanted to replicate that look in their season opener. After Tulane won the game, Sumrall explained why they weren’t able to go through with the full tribute.
“It got denied by [Northwestern], that’s their prerogative, but when you show disrespect to the city of New Orleans, that’s what’s going to happen to you,” Sumrall said.
“You’re going to run into a team like this — they had a chip on their shoulder.”
Days later, Northwestern’s head coach has responded to Sumrall and outraged Tulane fans, noting that no disrespect to their city or program was intended.
How Did Northwestern’s Head Coach Respond?
“Certainly not a gesture of disrespect, but the timing of the request did impact our ability to honor the request,” said Northwestern head coach David Braun. The Wildcats wore white on Saturday. Tulane was able to wear green helmets in tribute to the 2005 uniforms, but complemented them with green jerseys.
Braun added that he was surprised by Sumrall’s comments, but that the two head coaches touched base over the weekend, an interaction he says he “appreciated.”
“I don’t pretend to understand what the city of New Orleans has been through, but what I can tell you is this university and myself have a tremendous amount of respect for the impact that Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans and that region,” Northwestern’s coach said.
He noted that he took a trip to the city in 2006 with some of his Winona State college teammates to help rebuild homes and communities after devastation from the storm.
“I had an opportunity to see it firsthand … it was devastating,” Braun said. “Having a chance to return to New Orleans for the first time since that trip, where that city’s at right now is a reflection of the people that call it home.”
Tulane will continue its season against South Alabama on Saturday, while Northwestern will look to earn its first victory of the season against Western Illinois on Friday night.
