You probably didn't have Florida and Tulane on your 2024 postseason bingo card, but that's the beauty of college football. It’s chaotic. It’s weird. One minute you’re worrying about SEC standings, and the next, you’re watching the Gators square off against a team from New Orleans that used to be in their own conference back when leather helmets were high-tech. Honestly, the Florida Gators football vs Tulane Green Wave football matchup in the Gasparilla Bowl was a collision of two programs heading in completely different directions.
Florida needed a win. Desperately. Billy Napier was basically coaching for his life—or at least his job security—and DJ Lagway was the teenage savior everyone in Gainesville was pinning their hopes on. On the other side, Tulane was coming off a massive 2025 season under Jon Sumrall, proving that their run under Willie Fritz wasn't just a fluke.
A History That Goes Way Back
Most fans today don't realize that Tulane was actually a charter member of the SEC. Yeah, they were in the same club as Florida until 1966. Because of that, these two have a history that stretches back over a century. The first time they met was in 1915. Florida won that one 14-7, but the series hasn't always been a cakewalk for the Gators.
If you look at the all-time record, Florida leads 14-6-2. But man, that 1917 game was a disaster for the Gators. Tulane walked all over them 52-0. That’s still the largest margin of victory in the series, which is kinda wild when you think about how dominant Florida became in the 90s and 2000s.
The Gasparilla Bowl beatdown
The most recent chapter in this saga happened on December 20, 2024. Tampa was humid, the stands were a sea of orange and blue, and Tulane was looking to prove they belonged on the same field as the big boys. It didn't happen. Florida took them apart 33-8.
✨ Don't miss: Mizzou 2024 Football Schedule: What Most People Get Wrong
Trey Smack was the MVP without scoring a single touchdown. How? He kicked four field goals. It wasn't the "explosive" offense Gator fans were dreaming of, but it was clinical. DJ Lagway showed flashes of that five-star talent, especially on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tony Livingston in the third quarter that basically put the game out of reach. Tulane’s offense, which had been humming all year, just hit a brick wall. They didn't even find the end zone until there were 29 seconds left in the game. Too little, too late.
Why Florida vs Tulane Matters in 2026
We’re sitting in 2026 now, and the landscape has shifted again. Florida is trying to reclaim its spot at the top of the SEC, while Tulane is a powerhouse in the American Athletic Conference. This matchup represents the divide between the "haves" and the "ones who are trying to take it."
People love to talk about the "G5 vs P4" gap. This rivalry—if you can call it that—is the perfect litmus test for that gap. When a team like Tulane can hang with Florida, it validates the entire Group of Five. When Florida wins by 25, it reinforces the status quo.
- Recruiting Wars: Both schools heavily recruit the Gulf Coast and Florida. A win for Tulane over an SEC school is a massive tool in the living room of a four-star recruit.
- Scheduling Philosophy: Florida is under pressure to play tougher non-conference games, but they also need "sure things." Tulane is no longer a sure thing for anyone.
- The Coaching Carousel: Jon Sumrall at Tulane is a name that keeps coming up for big-time jobs. Every time he faces a school like Florida, it’s basically a job interview.
The Cultural Clash
Gainesville and New Orleans couldn't be more different. One is a classic college town built around a swamp; the other is a literal swamp built around jazz, beignets, and a "let the good times roll" attitude. This difference carries over to the fanbases. Gator fans expect a national championship every three years or they start calling for the coach’s head. Tulane fans? They’ve seen the basement. They appreciate the climb.
🔗 Read more: Current Score of the Steelers Game: Why the 30-6 Texans Blowout Changed Everything
There’s a certain respect there, though. Tulane is one of the few private schools that has managed to keep its football program relevant in the modern era. They don't have the 90,000-seat stadium that Florida has (Yulman Stadium only holds about 30,000), but they make it loud.
What the Stats Don't Tell You
If you just look at the scoreboard from their last meeting, you’d think Florida dominated. In reality, Tulane’s defense held firm for a long time. They forced those field goals. They made Lagway look like a freshman for a good two quarters.
The real story was depth. By the fourth quarter, the Green Wave were gassed. Florida’s four-star depth on the offensive line just started washing them away. Anthony Rubio and KD Daniels combined for late touchdowns that made the score look much worse than the game actually felt for the first thirty minutes.
Moving Forward: The Next Time They Meet
As of now, there isn't a scheduled regular-season game between these two in 2026 or 2027. Florida is busy with a schedule that includes Florida State and a gauntlet of SEC opponents like Texas and Oklahoma. Tulane is focused on winning the AAC and getting back into the expanded College Football Playoff.
💡 You might also like: Last Match Man City: Why Newcastle Couldn't Stop the Semenyo Surge
However, with the way the playoff is structured now, a 12-team (or eventually 14-team) bracket makes a Florida Gators football vs Tulane Green Wave football rematch more likely than ever. If Tulane wins their conference and Florida navigates the SEC to a 9-3 or 10-2 record, they could very well meet in a first-round playoff game.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're a bettor or just a die-hard fan looking at this matchup in the future, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Trenches: The talent gap between the SEC and the AAC is thinnest at the skill positions but widest on the offensive and defensive lines. That's where Florida won the last game.
- The Quarterback Factor: Tulane thrives when they have an experienced, mobile QB who can negate a pass rush. Florida struggles against those types of players.
- Location Matters: If this game is in New Orleans (at the Superdome or Yulman), the "voodoo" factor is real. Florida traditionally struggles when they leave the state of Florida for non-conference games that aren't at neutral sites.
- Check the Transfer Portal: Both schools are heavy users of the portal. A "star" for Tulane today could be a Gator tomorrow, and vice versa.
Florida and Tulane might not be a "rivalry" in the traditional sense, but it’s a matchup that tells the story of modern college football—where history, money, and unexpected parity all meet on a Saturday afternoon.
Check the current 2026 SEC standings to see if Florida is on track for a bowl tie-in that could lead to another matchup with the AAC champion. Keep an eye on Tulane's recruitment of Florida-based defensive ends, as that is the specific area where they are trying to bridge the gap with the Gators.