Tulane's Yulman Stadium "was anything but dull in its grand debut on Saturday" as the school had its "first football game on the Uptown campus in nearly 40 years," according to Tammy Nunez of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. Georgia Tech won 38-21 before a "sellout" crowd at the 30,000-seat venue, and most of the fans "lingered in their seats late in the second half." Tulane coach Curtis Johnson said, "The stadium was outstanding. The fans were magnificent -- especially the student section" (NOLA.com, 9/6). In New Orleans, Jeff Duncan wrote the official opening of the $73M on-campus facility "harkened a new era for Green Wave football, its loyal fans and the school's eclectic student body." The campus from sunrise to sunset was "awash in the kind of gridiron gris-gris every other school in the South enjoys each fall weekend." Even the heat and humidity "couldn't dampen the enthusiasm from the sellout crowd and the throng of Wave backers on campus." Yulman Stadium "was a universal hit for everyone involved, from the students to the alumni to the players." Still, "there were bugs, which were expected on day one." Concession lines "were ridiculously long," and entrance and exit points "were a muddled mess at times." The parking/shuttle set-up also "is less than ideal." But the few complaints "were drowned out by the chorus of throaty cheers" (NOLA.com, 9/6).
NEW ATMOSPHERE: In Baton Rouge, Scott Kushner wrote Tulane's pregame festivities "were a clear victory," as students, alumni, fans and onlookers "milled around the campus to take in the scene." Saturday represented the vision Tulane AD Rick Dickson and then-President Scott Cowen had "when they embarked on the Yulman Stadium project" in '09 and introduced it to the public in '11. Former Tulane Assistant AD/Marketing & Event Sales Jason Potuto said, "I think this is even more than what we expected. We talked for years about the feel we are trying to bring into the stadium and make it like Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest and really engage with New Orleans. But the way people showed up to this today is really even beyond my imagination" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 9/7). In New Orleans, Sue Strachan noted the Mardi Gras World tourist destination "was the place to be on Friday evening to celebrate all things" Tulane. With a ribbon cutting at Yulman Stadium earlier in the day, the Yulman family "turned their attention to hosting a party to commemorate this momentous occasion." The crowd was "full of VIPs," including Dickson, Cowan, Tulane President Michael Fitts and Buccaneers co-Owner Avi Glazer with his wife Jill (NOLA.com, 9/6).
