Always the Audacious
Athletics
Tulane has a rich culture of pioneering research, transformative teaching and vibrant academics. Increasingly, our athletics culture is thriving alongside these longstanding elements, with talented student-athletes and forward-thinking coaches coming together to achieve excellence in all 17 of our varsity sports.
Our Cotton Bowl win brought Tulane an unprecedented level of attention on the college sports stage and brought a matching level of attention to our university. Our Cotton Bowl success offers a model for a bright future — but it is a future that can only be unlocked if we empower our coaches and student-athletes to reach their full potential here at Tulane. To do so, we must build the infrastructure today to support them well into tomorrow.
Ten years ago, Yulman Stadium was opened to great fanfare. A decade later, the Cotton Bowl win showed how meaningful investment in athletic infrastructure spurs athletic success.
We are confident about the future of Tulane Athletics. The people are in place, but to keep our great coaches and staff who are vital to our success, we must invest in the infrastructure that will allow them to win. We invite you to join us on the winning team.
Ten years ago, Yulman Stadium was opened to great fanfare. A decade later, the Cotton Bowl win showed how meaningful investment in athletic infrastructure spurs athletic success.
GIVING PRIORITIES
THE JAMES W. WILSON CENTER RENOVATION
The James W. Wilson Center is the heart of Tulane Athletics. Named in honor of former Green Wave Football player Jim Wilson Jr., the Wilson Center houses athletic offices for 13 of Tulane’s 17 varsity sports in its 76,000 square feet along with the Slatten Family Strength Center, the Earl “Bubba” Porche Athletic Training Room, the Don and Lora Peters Academic Center, the Mickey Retif Clubhouse and numerous sport locker rooms. Renovating the Wilson Center is the keystone in empowering Tulane’s ongoing athletic success.
Renovations that impact each corner of the Wilson Center are ongoing. The modernization will touch team meeting rooms; dedicated locker rooms for select sports; coaches’ offices; and a reimagination of the atrium to welcome visitors, recruits and alumni. Phase 1 of the renovation, which was already completed, included the football locker room, baseball locker room, Kawasaki Recovery & Hydrotherapy Room, and other upgrades to the sports medicine facility and equipment room. Outside of the Wilson Center, additional Phase 1 projects included replacing the playing surfaces at both Yulman Stadium and Greer Field at Turchin Stadium as well as significant renovations and the reopening of the Reily Center Natatorium.
MULTI-PURPOSE INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY
Athletics leadership identified having a multipurpose indoor practice facility on campus as a pressing need for Tulane Athletics. Brown Field, in front of the Reily Center, offers a ready space for constructing a multipurpose indoor facility out of polyethylene or PVC.
With no existing facility on campus, the Green Wave teams must practice off-site or indoors when inclement weather is expected. With limited space currently available, the new facilities would maximize practice time by eliminating travel time and reduce funds needed for outside facility use.
The indoor facility would also be an asset to the wider Tulane community, available to Tulane Campus Recreation for club and intramural sports, when not in use by athletics. The new facility could even be used for campus events such as graduations.
SPORTS PERFORMANCE CENTER
Collegiate student-athletes are elite athletes, performing at the top of their game for their team and for the university community. Their achievements are inspiring and must be matched by sports medicine, strength and conditioning, and locker room space that supports top-level performance through the best care possible. There is no greater act of Green Wave pride than honoring our student-athletes by committing to their health, safety and well-being.
The sports performance facilities at Tulane have not undergone a full-scale renovation since the late 1980s. And, at that time Tulane’s sports performance facilities were serving just 200 student-athletes, compared with the 400-plus they serve today. The need for trainers and coaches has also more than tripled. We must build a sports performance facility worthy of the Green Wave. This is a high-priority need for the health, safety and development of Tulane athletes.
The new Sports Performance Center will include state-of-the-art athletic training facilities that will enhance student-athlete care through injury prevention and recovery; utilize the latest equipment to provide the best medical care possible; offer cutting-edge aquatic therapies for recuperation and rehabilitation; and include advanced sports science technologies.
Additionally, the new facility will house a new weight room, multiple new dedicated locker rooms, team lounges and meeting rooms for sports programs and student-athletes.
Sustaining First-Class Facilities
As Tulane Athletics continues to grow, investments in maintaining and growing our current facilities are paramount. For example, Yulman Stadium is a center of so much Green Wave pride. When we welcomed Green Wave football back uptown after 39 seasons, it was a source of celebration for all.
An achievement of this level must not be a zenith that is reached and then allowed to diminish. We’ve proven our capacity for achievement and must meaningfully support the critical infrastructure that plays such an important role in our success. We seek to update Yulman Stadium and our other facilities in meaningful ways. Initiatives for Yulman Stadium would include updating lighting to be in compliance with new television requirements; replacing the scoreboard, which has reached the end of its projected 10-year lifespan; replacing and enhancing the current sound system for the enjoyment of all fans; and enhancing premium seating options to maintain revenue streams each year.
Give to tulane
Give today, impact always. With your generosity, Tulane creates transformative experiences for the next generation. For the future. For always.