Tulane Football Taps Into Strong NFL Alumni Base to Raise Critical Funds
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The Tulane Green Wave is conducting Give Green, an annual fundraiser that provides crucial funds to the athletics programs.
Tulane football has sent many players in recent seasons from the college football level to the NFL, and the school is tapping into that alumni base to meet their goals.
The NFL Alumni Challenge unlocks $15,000 from former players now in the league when 500 donors contribute, a landmark reached Wednesday afternoon.
In a graphic posted on X, the notable alumni include Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Michael Pratt, Buffalo Bills linebacker Dorian Williams, New York Jets defensive back Jarius Monroe, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman John Leglue, Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Parry Nickerson, and defensive end Patrick Johnson.
While everyone is focused on funds for NIL and retaining the roster of star players against poaching in the transfer portal, the lifeblood of athletics comes from these types of funds.
🚨 The NFL Alumni Challenge is here! 🚨
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) April 8, 2025
When 500 donors commit to the Green Wave Club we unlock a $15,000 donation from our NFL Wave alumni!
Are you up for the challenge Green Wave Nation?
Commit Today 🌊: https://t.co/DfJS8Ap29y
#UptownFootball | #GiveGreenTU pic.twitter.com/chGF97YNnE
The annual event is put on by the Green Wave Club, the official fundraising arm of Tulane Athletics.
Donations go towards providing academic support, health and nutrition, mental health support, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, team game day operations, and team travel.
It’s all a part of a larger goal and campaign launched in January, Ascend TUgether, and all gifts to Tulane Athletics on Give Green will count towards it.
It’s dedicated to growing record-high support of Tulane athletics with an immediate goal of $4 million in unrestricted giving and to grow the membership of the Green Wave club to 3,500 donors by May 2025.
It’s a campaign in tune with the evolving college athletics landscape and will help all the sports programs reach the next level.
As of April 4, the number of donors reached 2,215 with $2.7 million in total donations of the total $4 million goal.
There are also multiple donation challenges happening on the website for alumni who are celebrating undergraduate reunions by Tulane alumni.
It’s a large showing of support that includes regular alumni as well as those in the NFL, showing a stronger connection by the year of athletics with the university side.
The number of notable alumni that are part of the NFL group are from 2017-24, showing a recent trajectory for success to the pros from the Green Wave college football team.
Tulane football head coach Jon Sumrall and multiple staff members posted on X that they’d contributed to the goal that was already reached for the NFL alumni to donate $15,000 and continue the sustained success for the football program.
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Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com