So says Tulane Athletic Director Rick Dickson. The deal is apparently done for 2011 while the new Big East expansion news has made 2012 slightly iffy at the moment.
In other news, Dickson said Tulane is in the final leg of inking a football series with Syracuse. The Green Wave will play Sycracuse at home Oct, 8, 2011. But changes to the Big East have thrown a wrinkle in the 2012 part of the schedule. When that is ironed out, the deal will swiftly come to a close.
Quick, somebody start working on a Roy Danforth Trophy.
If this happens, the 2011 OOC will be complete with the addition. Home games against Toledo, Wake Forest and Rhode Island coupled with away games against USC and Tulane. That's one game against a top-tier BCS school, one game against a middle-of-the-road BCS school, two games against non-BCS opponents and a game against a FCS school. That's pretty much exactly how it's supposed to be done.
If Tulane happens for 2012, that will also compete that OOC schedule, which will consist of four games since the Big East schedule will be eight with the addition of TCU. That would make it home against USC, Northwestern and Tulane and away against Minnesota. Slightly skewing the BCS-side but who knows where those programs will be by then.
As for the Green Wave, they're coming off a 4-8 season, finishing dead last in the Conference USA West Division. Head coach Bob Toledo will return for another year despite the team's sub-par record under his watch (13-35). Don't sleep on the Wave, though, they beat Rutgers earlier this year 17-14.