Tucked away in Andonie Museum lies a satin cloth. The cloth is divided diagonally into two sections, one bearing a tiger and the other an overlapping “TU”. In the center, lies the state seal uniting the two. It exists as the lone monument to what was once among the Tigers’ most beloved battles. It is the prize of the Battle for the Rag, Louisiana State University versus Tulane University.
The rivalry is, for all intents and purposes, dead. It’s been over a decade since the two schools have played each other, and it looks unlikely they’ll ever play again.
This is a great tragedy for both universities’ sports teams. There exists a general apathy amongst the fanbases of both schools towards the renewal of the series. Many argue that it’s simply not good football.
However, the history of this storied matchup spans nearly every era of both the teams that participate. Furthermore, the emergence of a new era in college football is leading to a resurgence of smaller programs like Tulane.
The rivalry between LSU and Tulane predates football as we understand it.
John Heisman was a fresh, young coach, the forward pass was illegal and the game was played in halves. In this environment, the LSU football team, yet to adopt a mascot, met the Tulane olive and blue for each teams’ first-ever football game. Roughly 2000 people were in attendance.
Coming off a loss against the now obscure Southern Athletic Club, Tulane had worked hard to improve their ragtag squad. Tulane crushed LSU, 34-0.
LSU would return two years later to scrape out an 8-4 win. The early rivalry was fairly competitive, generally leaning in LSU’s favor.
Tulane dominated the Tigers from 1923-34, going 8-3-2. LSU’s wins usually came from fluke circumstances like the Green Wave getting wracked by the flu preceding their 1932 bout.
However, 1935 marked a turning point. Both schools became charter members of the new Southeastern Conference. The game was preceded by an all-out brawl between the fans in attendance. Tulane had electrified their goal posts in an attempt to thwart the fans from stealing them. The ever-rowdy purple and gold simply tore them down anyway. The Tigers then proceeded to stomp Tulane 41-0.
This loss began a period of almost unquestioned LSU dominance. Tulane would win just four times over the next 38 years. In 12 of the games Tulane played, they scored zero points, a statistic that would be almost unfathomable for an SEC team today.
In the early 1950s, Tulane began the slow process of downsizing its football program in favor of greater academic investment. They reduced the number of athletic scholarships granted from 100 to 75 and slashed coaching salaries.
In 1973, following a last-second loss to LSU the previous season, Tulane was having one of their best seasons in decades. Their record was 8-2, albeit having taken on a number of weak opponents.
On Dec. 1, over 86,000 fans piled into Tulane Stadium, a record which remains to this day. The stadium was in increasingly terrible condition. The upper decks had long grown rusted from New Orleans’ relentless humidity and the following years’ game had already been moved to the still-incomplete Superdome.
This battle was too important to worry about comfort or safety. A generation of fans had grown up with over two decades of losses and they weren’t going to quit on their team now.
Tulane fought with the spirits of men possessed in this defensive battle, where LSU was held scoreless. A fourth-quarter 53-yard run by Tulane tailback Doug Bynum powered Tulane to a 14-0 win.
As the clock ran out, the scoreboard displayed a home victory for the first time in 25 years. Just like in 1935, the fans began to rush the field. Unlike that brawl, the police actually attempted to stop the mob, they were unsuccessful. That day, not even the will of an almighty power could stop the Green Wave from bringing down the goalposts.
This game is precisely the reason that this rivalry is so beautiful. Sure, it’s been pretty lopsided. When the series was renewed in 2001, LSU dominated every year until it was ultimately cancelled in 2009. However, when Tulane wins, the entire city of New Orleans shakes.
In fact, there exists a rivalry that mirrors the Battle for the Rag almost perfectly, and demonstrates why the rivalry should be revived.
Tennessee and Vanderbilt have played almost every year since 1892. Tennessee struggled up until the late 1920s and then dominated under the leadership of Robert Neyland. They continue to win almost every time, but occasionally, when the stars align, Vandy takes home a precious victory. Those upset games, while rare, create some of the most entertaining football in the entire NCAA.
Both the Tigers and the Green Wave now find themselves in new, uncharted territory. The introduction of immense amounts of money into the sport has led to a fundamentally different and unprecedented sports landscape. This new system has allowed both schools to thrive.
In the past three seasons, Tulane has gradually built itself into an AAC powerhouse, while the Tigers remain a strong SEC program.
However, the two schools still remain distant from each other. LSU has demanded that any game with Tulane must be in Baton Rouge, an unrealistic prospect. Both teams agreed to one last game in New Orleans, which has yet to materialize.
The lack of interest in renewal by both schools is heartbreaking. The histories of these two institutions are, no matter how faded in the minds of current fans, inseparable. They are of the same cloth, or rag, rather.
It’s about time that they meet once more, even if for just one more time. Two schools, two teams, two logos, both brought together and separated by the state they share.
