Tulane Football Conference Rivals Accomplish Rare Feat in Latest AP Poll
The Tulane Green Wave are not getting any love from the Associated Press Top 25 after a three-game winning streak and a 2-0 start to American Athletic Conference action.
But two of their league rivals are, and it’s a rarity historically speaking.
Army West Point (6-0) and Navy (5-0) both landed in the Top 25 when Sunday’s poll was released. The Black Knights were No. 23 and the Midshipmen were No. 25.
It’s rare for the two service academies to be ranked to start with. But being in the AP Top 25 together? Well, that hasn’t happened since before John F. Kennedy was president.
Per The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy and other outlets, this week will be the first time that both Army and Navy are in the Top 25 at the same time since 1960. That was 64 years ago. Dwight D. Eisenhower was wrapping up his second term as president.
For the record, Navy ended up as one of the best teams in the country that season. The Midshipmen finished No. 4 in the final AP Top 25 and went 9-2. Navy was led by Heisman Trophy winning halfback Joe Bellino.
Army fell off the pace a bit, finishing 6-3-1 and finishing outside of the Top 25.
Minnesota ended up finishing at the top of the AP Top 25 by season’s end.
Tulane (4-2, 2-0) is tied at the top of the AAC standings with four other teams, including Army and Navy.
The Green Wave won’t play Army this season. The Black Knights joined the AAC this season as an affiliate football member. Tulane will play Navy in Annapolis on Nov. 16.
Tulane is coming off back-to-back AAC championship game appearances, as the Green Wave won the 2022 title game and lost last year’s title game. Right now Tulane controls its own destiny when it comes to reaching the game in part because it plays three of the other four undefeated AAC teams, along with North Texas and Charlotte.
But, if Army and Navy continue on their present course it could create a unique two-week window of games.
Army and Navy has an arrangement with the conference. Their annual rivalry game, which happens after conference championship weekend, is not a league showdown. So, conceivably, Army and Navy could go undefeated in conference, play one another in the league title game at a home site and then play their annual neutral site rivalry game the following weekend.
Tulane is hoping to prevent that by running the table in their final six games.
