Just hours after Georgia Tech announced a 2014 game against Tulane had been cancelled, Tulane said the game is back on.
“Tulane University and Georgia Tech are pleased to announce that their previously scheduled football game will be played Sept. 6 in New Orleans,” a statement from Tulane stated.
Tulane is currently constructing a new home for the football program, Yulman Stadium. The stadium was expected to be ready for the September 6 home game against Georgia Tech, and that is still the hope for Tulane. Rather than face a $300,000 buyout fee to cancel four games on the schedule with Georgia Tech, Tulane has announced the September 6 game will be played even if it needs to play one final game in its football home since 1974, the Superdome. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Superdome will host the September 6 game if Yulman Stadium is not going to be ready to host a football game.
Regardless of where the game is played, Tulane will get to keep a home field advantage and the tension for both schools having to fill a schedule vacancy somewhat late in the scheduling game is removed. Georgia Tech had expected to be able to announce a new game to fill one of the vacancies on the schedule within a week, but an FCS opponent was likely out of the question with one already on the schedule. With schools scheduling non-conference games years in advance, finding a scheduling partner this time of year can prove to be a difficult task.
On a related note, Tulane’s season opener against Southeastern Louisiana has apparently been moved back two weeks to September 13.