Tulane Green Wave Receive Brutal Update on Practice Bubble Status

News about the proposed indoor practice facility for the Tulane Green Wave is not positive.

Nov 7, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; The American Athletic Conference logo at Yulman Stadium before the game between the Tulane Green Wave and the Connecticut Huskies. / Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

The Tulane Green Wave has been fortunate enough to use the indoor facilities of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints when weather doesn’t allow them to use their outdoor setup. That has been the case the last two weeks with a tropical storm and a hurricane battering the southeast.

While appreciative of what the Saints provided, the Green Wave were looking forward to having an indoor facility of their own on campus. On days that the players are in class, traveling to the Superdome presents some challenges.

A football bubble was supposed to be built close to the Reily Center on campus. However, in an update provided by Tulane athletic director Davis Harris on X, the project at that location is officially dead.

“After site inspections for the indoor practice facility, we determined that Brown field wasn’t a suitable location due to several factors. We are committed to completing the project. When details are finalized, we will share more information. Thanks for your support & patience,” he shared on social media.

After site inspections for the indoor practice facility, we determined that Brown field wasn’t a suitable location due to several factors. We are committed to completing the project. When details are finalized, we will share more information. Thanks for your support & patience.

— David Harris (@DavidHarrisAD) September 19, 2024

After being hired last November, the practice bubble project was inherited by Harris. During the summer, he provided an update that construction would be delayed until the fall because building materials were not arriving in a timely manner.

Despite the delay, completion of the project was expected to be late in 2024 or early in 2025. Now, everything is up in the air as a new location needs to be found.

According to Guerry Smith of NOLA.com, there is already another spot that the school has its eyes on.

“The location and timeline are unclear now, but sources indicated the Claiborne Avenue parking lot — separated from Yulman Stadium by baseball’s Turchin Stadium — is considered a viable option on a crowded campus.”

The expectation is that the field inside the bubble will be no more than 75 yards long. Claiborne Avenue has more space to work with, but this is still in the infancy stages a complete feasibility study is required, per Smith.

An indoor practice facility is something the football program has been pushing to have for years. As the NOLA.com writer shared, Willie Fritz hinted that promises for a bubble were unfulfilled during his tenure with the program when he departed for the Houston head coaching job last year.