From Tulane Stadium to Yulman Stadium: A History of Tulane University Football Venues

Tulane University's football program has a rich history, deeply intertwined with the city of New Orleans. This article explores the evolution of Tulane's football stadiums, from the historic Tulane Stadium, once known as "The Queen of Southern Stadiums," to the modern Yulman Stadium, which brought football back to campus after a 40-year absence.

The Early Years: A Progressive Approach to Athletics.

As early as the late 1800s, Tulane and Newcomb College demonstrated progressive attitudes toward athleticism. School administrators recognized that sports promoted student health and encouraged social change and civic pride. Newcomb College, in particular, pioneered physical education, becoming the South's first institution to offer a teacher's certificate and a four-year degree program in the field. Clara Gregory Baer, a pioneering physical education instructor at Newcomb from 1891 to 1929, even published the first rules for women's basketball, then called "basquette" ball, and invented Newcomb ball, a game similar to volleyball. Early 20th-century Newcomb women also trained as gymnasts, archers, swimmers, and marksmen, challenging 19th-century conventions regarding women.

Tulane Stadium: The Queen of Southern Stadiums

The significance of sports extended beyond the Tulane campus, helping to shape the identity of New Orleans. In the early 1920s, recognizing the Green Wave's achievements, 6,000 citizens donated $300,000 to construct a football stadium. The original Tulane Stadium, officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, opened on October 23, 1926, with a seating capacity of approximately 35,000. It replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium," which was located where the Telephone Exchange Building now stands. The stadium was situated on a portion of Tulane University's main campus in Uptown New Orleans, fronting Willow Street and stretching to Claiborne Avenue. The original structure was primarily constructed of brick and concrete.

The Sugar Bowl Era

With the inauguration of the Sugar Bowl in 1935, Tulane Stadium became the premiere venue for collegiate football. The first Sugar Bowl game was played on January 1, 1935, between Tulane and Temple University, at Tulane Stadium. Since the institution of the annual Sugar Bowl game, Tulane Stadium itself was often informally referred to as "the Sugar Bowl". The stadium was eventually expanded to seat up to 80,985 fans. The stadium underwent numerous renovations during its existence. In 1937, the north end stands were added, increasing the capacity by 14,000. Two years later, the stadium was double-decked, increasing the capacity to 69,000. The final addition came in 1947 when the stadium was enlarged to seat 80,985 fans.

Architectural Details

In its final configuration, the stadium included four concrete and steel sections (separated at the corners of the field), with a short steel upper deck wrapping around the sides and north end of the stadium. The press box was located on the western side of the field, and the main gate was at the southern end of the field facing Willow Street. The support structure for the upper deck was entirely open, exposing the ramps and lattice work, and hiding the original brick facade underneath, with the exception of the Willow Street end of the stadium. Lights were installed in 1957.

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Memorable Moments

The record attendance for the stadium was set on December 1, 1973, when 86,598 watched Tulane defeat in-state rival LSU 14-0, ending a 25-year winless streak for the Green Wave against the Bayou Bengals. Tulane's final game on campus came 364 days later, a 26-10 loss to Ole Miss on a miserably cold afternoon, November 30, 1974.

A Home for the Saints and Super Bowls

In addition to hosting Tulane University football games and the Sugar Bowl, Tulane Stadium was also home to the National Football League's New Orleans Saints from 1967 through 1974. In 1966, New Orleans was awarded a NFL franchise, the Saints. The team needed a stadium to play at choosing Tulane Stadium as their home. The Saints' first game was a 27-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on September 17, 1967, although New Orleans provided fans with a memorable highlight when John Gilliam returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown. The Saints won their last game in the stadium, 14-0 over the St. Louis Cardinals. Tulane Stadium was the site of Super Bowl IV, Super Bowl VI and Super Bowl IX.

One of the most memorable moments at the stadium might have been the Saints victory over the Detroit Lions on November 8, 1970. With seconds remaining, the Saints attempted a place kick with the holder spotting at the Saints' own 37 yard line. Kicker Tom Dempsey nailed the 63-yard field goal with a couple of feet to spare, and the Saints won the game 19-17.

Demolition and Rediscovery

In 1975, the day the new Louisiana Superdome was opened, Tulane Stadium was condemned. Upon appeal by the University, the older concrete and brick section was deemed fit to use, but not the newer metal seating section. The stadium then continued in more limited use for five years with the smaller seating area, used for football practice, high-school games, and other smaller events. The Denver Broncos used Tulane Stadium as its practice facility prior to Super Bowl XII, the first Super Bowl played in the Superdome. The last game played in the stadium was a game between New Orleans Catholic League rivals De La Salle High School and Archbishop Rummel High School on November 1, 1979. On November 2, 1979, Tulane President Sheldon Hackney announced that the stadium would be demolished. The demolition started on November 18, 1979 and ended in 1980. While the storage areas underneath the seating in the stadium were being emptied prior to demolition, various neglected University possessions were rediscovered, including an Ancient Egyptian mummy couple. Tulane Stadium is one of three stadiums that had hosted a Super Bowl that are no longer standing.

Yulman Stadium: A Return to Campus

After the demolition of Tulane Stadium in 1979, football games were played downtown at the Superdome, miles from campus. For some time, Tulane fans had felt chagrin at playing games at the Superdome. The stadium seated over 75,000 people for football, but the Green Wave struggled to attract even 40,000 people in their best years. As the last piece of the university’s athletic master plan, the new Yulman Stadium brought college football, and the community, back to campus.

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Construction and Design

The crown jewel of Tulane University's athletics complex, Yulman Stadium marked a renaissance which returned football back to campus after 40 years. The new stadium is carefully integrated into the dense surroundings of Tulane University's landlocked urban campus. Nestled into the narrowest part of campus, the project connects to the existing Reily, Hertz and Wilson Centers and includes a new pedestrian entry plaza, the new stadium with Benson Field, and a new adjacent Practice Field. Yulman Stadium is strategically interconnected with the existing Hertz Center. The two buildings frame the inviting new pedestrian entry plaza. The stadium's zinc panel system filters light into the concourses and allows for a monumental eastern façade expression that anchors the open space of the entry plaza.

Sensitivity to the Neighborhood

Sensitivity to the surrounding neighborhood context was paramount and influenced design decisions relative to architectural massing and material expression. Along the east elevation, the perforated metal screening shades concourses and filters light into circulation space while framing views. The use of pre-engineered seating for three sides of the stadium reduced its height closest to the residential area, resulting in a more comfortable, appropriately scaled neighborhood edge. The west elevation's materials were carefully selected to shield residents from the stadium's artificial light and crowd noise. The north elevation butts up against the new practice field. The practice field cleverly covers a 600,000-gallon underground water detention system, lessening the immediate impact on the city’s storm water pumping station and ensuring every square foot on this tight campus site is utilized to its maximum potential.

A Community Gathering Place

From the outset of the design process, the design team held true an underlying mantra, “Only at Tulane. Only in New Orleans.” This idea of a community coming together became a touchstone for every design decision. The inviting new pedestrian entry plaza with Yulman Stadium and Hertz Center as its backdrop becomes a destination for pre-game processionals from tailgating areas to entry gates-creating a new game day ritual. Outside of football season, the stadium becomes a year-round campus asset as a teaching and gathering place.

Amenities and Features

Yulman Stadium currently has a capacity of 30,000 spectators, with 4,500 premium seats in two fan clubs - the Westfeldt Terrace and the Jill H. and Avram A. Glazer Family Club. The stadium features two elevated club decks on the home side. The Jill H. and Avram A. Glazer Family Club is the premier club-level seating in the stadium, with 1,500 chair back seats, two club rooms, two bars, expanded concessions, and a large meeting space. The remainder of Yulman's premium seating is composed of 3,000 chair back seats in the Westfeldt Terrace, located directly above the Glazer Club and covered by a canopy. A large-scale meeting space is located on the ground level for use year-round. The entry space in front of the stadium, known as the Athletes Plaza, is used for pre- and post-game activities. Prior to the 2016 season, Tulane Athletic Director Troy Dannen announced the addition of a 2,400-pound (1,100 kg) sculpture of the program's classic "Angry Wave" to the top of the scoreboard. The stadium provides standard seating, premium seating, viewing terraces, concessions, club level environments, a multipurpose room, a press box, and visitor locker rooms (the home locker rooms are within the existing Wilson Center). Premium seating along the home (east) side of the stadium connects to communal "party deck" terraces at either end overlooking the field. Concourses are animated with branded wayfinding signage and historical imagery. Fans are able to easily find their way and not only experience the game, but also reminisce about Green Wave history.

The Glazer Family Club is a premier club level private lounge space with 1,500 seats, two club rooms including the President's Suite and Bunker Suite, two bars, expanded concessions, and a large meeting space. The Bunker Suite offers unique views at field level, making one feel a part of the team. Yulman Stadium gives Green Wave fans a more intimate environment to cheer on their team and an opportunity for an authentic on-campus tailgating experience. The new stadium celebrates Tulane’s decorated athletic history and traditions using a modern architectural vocabulary that marries old and new in tandem with branded wayfinding signage and historical imagery for a total game day experience.

Naming and Inauguration

University representatives initially named the stadium "Tulane Community Stadium" but revealed its official name in late 2012. Richard Yulman, the former chair/owner of Serta and a member of the Board of Tulane, and his wife donated $15 million toward construction of the project, gaining naming rights to the stadium in the process. In its first game in Yulman Stadium, Tulane played the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in front of a university-reported crowd of 30,000 spectators.

Beyond College Football

Yulman Stadium hosted its first high school football game on September 8, 2017, when New Orleans Catholic schools De La Salle and St. Augustine faced off. Yulman hosted its first Louisiana High School Athletic Association state championship game on December 6, 2019, when Archbishop Rummel defeated Baton Rouge Catholic 17-14 for the Division I select title. The stadium hosted two LHSAA select championship games on December 4, 2021: Baton Rouge Catholic vs. Jesuit and Lafayette Christian vs. St. Charles.

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