Tulane, ULL to play in AutoNation Cure Bowl
The Tulane University football team announced Sunday it has accepted a bid to play in the 2018 AutoNationCure Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
The game will be played Dec. 15 at 12:30 p.m. inside Camping World Stadium and will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
“This will truly be an outstanding opportunity for our young men to compete in a first-class bowl game,” Tulane head coach Willie Fritz said in a news release. “Orlando is a fantastic city, has a wonderful stadium, and our opponent will provide a tremendous challenge. We look forward to our week in Orlando.”
Tulane, which earned a share of the AAC West Division title following its win against Navy Nov. 24, will face Louisiana, which finished as the runner-up in the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship game.
Tulane earned a bowl bid for just the 12th time in its 125-year program history. The last time the Green Wave competed in a bowl was in 2013 when it played in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, also against Louisiana.
The Green Wave’s trip to Florida for the Cure Bowl will mark the first time since 2002 that Tulane has left the state to take part in a bowl game.
“We are excited to accept an invitation to participate in the 2018 Auto Nation Cure Bowl in Orlando,” Ben Weiner Director of Athletics Chair Troy Dannen said in a news release. “The Cure Bowl is recognized for the outstanding experience it offers the participating teams, and its location is convenient for our significant fan and alumni bases along the Gold Coast and the Sun Coast. Advancing to the 12th bowl game in our 125 years of football history and just the fourth in the last three decades is validation of the progress coach Willie Fritz has made in building a competitive foundation for Tulane football. We look forward to continuing to build upon this progress and setting a standard of bowl eligibility on a consistent basis.”
The Green Wave’s Cure Bowl invitation came after it finished with a 4-1 record to close the year. Tulane’s 4-1 finish to end the regular season was its best record in its final five games since 1998.
“We are excited to welcome the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the Tulane Green Wave to the 2018 AutoNation Cure Bowl,” President of the Orlando Sports Foundation Kay Stanney said in a news release. “We are looking forward to this Bayou Battle coming to Orlando. The last time these two in-state rivals played was an epic four-overtime clash. We are excited that our Bowl Week will have a Louisiana flare.”