Year-By-Year Summaries (1890s)
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 Tulane's first football team took the field in 1893 and earned its first win with a 34-0 shutout of LSU.
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1893 (1-2)
Head Coach: T.L. Bayne
Tulane played its first varsity football game on Nov. 18, 1893, dropping a 12-0 decision to the Southern Athletic Club. Things were a bit less formal in those days, as witnessed by the fact that Tulane Coach T.L. Bayne also played in the game - for the opponent!
In his spare time, T.L. Bayne hustled over to Baton Rouge to help coach LSU. This made for an interesting afternoon of Nov. 25, 1893, when Tulane and LSU played for the first time. Hugh Bayne, brother of the coach and a Tulane law student, scored the first touchdown ever for Tulane to open a 34-0 rout. T.L. Bayne did not play that day, but he was on the field as umpire (LSU's coach was the referee).
Tulane lost to Ole Miss 12-4 the next weekend to end its inaugural season with a 1-2 record.
Date Opponent Location Score Result N18 Southern Athletic Club New Orleans, La. 0-12 L N25 LSU New Orleans, La. 34-0 W D2 Ole Miss New Orleans, La. 4-12 L
1894 (0-4)
Head Coach: Fred Sweet
Fred Sweet replaced T.L. Bayne as head coach and it was a struggle. Just before school opened, Sweet learned that captain C.R. Romeyne had left town with his parents and would not be a member of the 1894 squad. The team struggled to an 0-4 finish, scoring zero, six, six and two points in those four games while losing to Texas, Alabama, Sewanee and Ole Miss.
Date Opponent Location Score Result O27 at Texas Austin, Texas 0-12 L N3 Alabama New Orleans, La. 6-18 L N17 Sewanee New Orleans, La. 6-12 L N29 Ole Miss New Orleans, La. 2-8 L
1895 (3-2)
Head Coach: T.L. Bayne
T.L. Bayne returned as head coach and Tulane posted its first winning season with a 3-2 record. After losing to LSU in the season opener, Tulane rallied to shut out teams from the Southern Athletic Club and Alabama. A road loss to Texas followed before the season ended with a 28-4 walloping of Ole Miss, representing the most points by Tulane since its 34-0 win over LSU in 1893.
Date Opponent Location Score Result N26 at LSU Baton Rouge, La. 4-8 L N9 Southern Athletic Club New Orleans, La. 12-0 W N16 Alabama New Orleans, La. 22-0 W N23 at Texas Austin, Texas 0-16 L N28 Ole Miss New Orleans, La. 28-4 W
1896 (3-2)
Head Coach: Harry Baum
Harry Baum replaced T.L. Bayne as coach and matched the 1895 record of 3-2, although one of those losses was a forfeit to LSU. Tulane was ahead 2-0 when an argument broke out over whether Tulane could use a player who was "about" to become a Tulane student. When LSU refused to allow the player to see action, Tulane captain Louis Genella took his team off the field and the game was declared a forfeit. Win No. 3 was a 10-0 shutout of Ole Miss to ensure a winning season.
Date Opponent Location Score Result
O17 Alumni New Orleans, La. 12-0 W
O24 LSU* New Orleans, La. 0-6 L
N9 Vicksburg Athetic Club Vicksburg, Miss. 48-0 W
N14 Texas New Orleans, La. 4-12 L
N26 Ole Miss New Orleans, La. 10-0 W
* - forfeit
1897 (0-0)
For the only time since the inception of the sport in 1893, Tulane did not field a football team.
1898 (1-1)
Head Coach: John Lombard
John Lombard, captain of Tulane's first team in 1893, became the program's fifth coach in five seasons. The team played two games and finished 1-1, beating Ole Miss and then losing to LSU.
Charles Eshleman served as captain, and in 1979 he became the first 19th-century athlete to be named to Tulane's Athletics Hall of Fame.
Date Opponent Location Score Result D12 Ole Miss New Orleans, La. 14-9 W D14 at LSU Baton Rouge, La. 0-37 L
1899 (0-6-1)
Head Coach: H.H. Collier
H.H. Collier became Tulane's sixth coach in six seasons and he must not have enjoyed it very much as the team finished 0-6-1 and did not score a point. A scoreless tie with the Southern Athletic Club was the squad's best showing.
Date Opponent Location Score Result N11 Sewanee New Orleans, La. 0-23 L N18 Southern Athletic Club New Orleans, La. 0-0 T N20 Texas New Orleans, La. 0-11 L N25 at Texas Austin, Texas 0-32 L N27 vs. Texas A&M Houston, Texas 0-22 L N30 Ole Miss New Orleans, La. 0-15 L D8 at LSU Baton Rouge, La. 0-38 L
