The Tulane football team will return to New Orleans later this month and play their first true home game of the season on Sept. 25, the program announced Monday.
Fittingly, that game will come against UAB, the program that provided the Green Wave shelter when Hurricane Ida made New Orleans temporarily inhospitable.
"We are thankful we are able to return home to New Orleans and compete in Yulman Stadium once again," said AD Troy Dannen. "It has taken a remarkable effort by so many over the past month to get the City of New Orleans, and our campus, back up and running. Everyone associated with Tulane athletics, and particularly our student-athletes, have tremendous appreciation for the hard work allowing our return to campus so quickly.
"We also extend our gratitude to everyone in Birmingham for welcoming us with open arms over the past few weeks. From the Sheraton Hotel, our friends at UAB, the many athletic practice facilities we have used, and certainly Legion Field, Birmingham has been a wonderful home away from home for the 300 student-athletes and staff who have been relocated since Hurricane Ida."
Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29 and, among many, many other things, forced the Green Wave to move to Birmingham.
Tulane's home game with Oklahoma -- announced in 2015 and scheduled to be the biggest game played yet at the 7-year-old Yulman Stadium -- was moved to Norman. The Wave lost to the No. 2 Sooners, 40-35, when a late-game rally came up just short.
This past Saturday's home game with Morgan State was played at Birmingham's Legion Field. The Wave won, 69-20.
Tulane has a scheduled road trip to Ole Miss on Saturday before re-opening their home slate with UAB on the 25th, God willing, for the remainder of the season.
All fans are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend the game.
"The Green Wave football team's return to Yulman Stadium puts an exclamation point on the fact that Tulane is back in business," Tulane President Michael Fitts said. "We are resuming normal operations, including in-person classes, hands-on research and on-site work. We are ready to continue our winning ways in all dimensions of university life. This includes welcoming home end cheering on our student-athletes. Roll Wave!"