Supporters of Tulane are used to seeing their school ranked among the nation’s most selective and accomplished universities, and that’s something worth boasting about.

Not so often, in recent years, have we seen the Green Wave on the list of the nation’s football powers.

But it happened this week.

Tulane was ranked No. 25 in the weekly Associated Press football writers’ poll, ending a 24-year drought.

The Green Wave is 6-1 this year under seventh-year coach Willie Fritz, including a win against a ranked Kansas State team in Manhattan.

The last time Tulane cracked the AP poll was in 1998, when the Wave was ranked No. 7 after wrapping up an undefeated season with a 41-27 win over Brigham Young in the Liberty Bowl. Fritz has taken Tulane to three bowl games and the team was progressing until 2021, when Hurricane Ida forced the squad to evacuate and spoiled a promising season.

Tulane has been a welcome success story in our football-starved state. LSU is rebuilding under its new coach, Brian Kelly. Last year’s Louisiana football darlings, the Ragin Cajuns, have slipped a bit. And the Saints — well let’s not go there.

The new AP poll offers something else you don’t see often: Tulane is ranked ahead of LSU.

We’d love to see the two schools renew their annual rivalry. Tulane won the first game in 1893, but LSU has dominated the series, and the Tigers won the most recent matchup in 2009.

This shouldn’t be about the money, as when LSU nixed the home-state rivalry.

The teams may be evenly matched this year, so how about letting them square off, even if the fellows just lace them up and play in the parking lot?