New Legislation Could Pave Path for Tulane to Reach Power 4
· Yahoo Sports
The Protect College Sports Act is making things very interesting in the world of college athletics... and giving the Tulane Green Wave a shot at reaching a Power 4 conference.
This new legislation, which is still pending a vote, would allow no more than 19 members in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC -- and Group of 6 teams could join with no penalties. This changes previous discussions about conference realignment, which would have completely stopped any potential expansion in both the SEC and Big 10.
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Of course, it's important to remember that the Protect College Sports Act is far from complete, and there could be some more changes down the road. Who knows, the legislation could still fall short: it must make it through a vote by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
As of now, every conference is below that 19 team threshold, with some leagues having more wiggle room than others. Understandably, conferences will likely want to fill out as much as possible, and Tulane is in great position to earn one of roughly 10 available spots.
The Green Wave was a member of the SEC up until about 60 years ago, and with how that conference has shaped up since then, it likely wouldn't extend an invitation to any Group of 6 team. All three of its open spots would most likely go to either Florida or Texas teams. The Big Ten is in a similar position with just one spot available.
That leaves the Big 12 and the ACC.
The Big 12 has three spots available if conference sizes are expanded to 19. Tulane would fit in very well on the gridiron -- and likely be among the best teams in the conference -- but it would be hard to fit a New Orleans-based program into a league that largely centers on western teams.
On the other hand, the ACC might be a perfect fit; it has two open spots as of now, but if any of its programs were to leave for the SEC, there would be a few more openings. The Green Wave proved it could compete with the conference after taking down the eventual league champion Duke Blue Devils during the 2025 regular season. It's also geographically feasible, and the university's strong academic reputation puts it above many other schools that would be fighting for a spot.
All Tulane can focus on right now is its strength in the American Conference, especially since talks of 19-team conferences could ultimately stall. However, it's hard not to look to the future and see a golden opportunity for the Green Wave to reach the next level in just a few years.