The Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team is part of the University of Tulsa in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team has played in the American Conference since the 2014 season and was part of Conference USA before that. The team is coached by Tre Lamb. Tulsa plays its home games at Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The University of Tulsa has the smallest number of undergraduate students among all FBS schools.

History

Tulsa was called Henry Kendall College until it moved to Tulsa from Muskogee in 1907. That same year, the first football team was formed to represent the university. The team won its first game, defeating the Bacone Indians. The exact date and score of the game were not written down. Over the next 12 years, Kendall played 17 games, winning 8 and losing 8, with 1 tie. However, the team did not have a team for four years (1903, 1904, 1906, 1907). The most common opponent was Arkansas, who played against Tulsa four times. After settling in Tulsa, the football program began to grow. In 1913, Kendall had a 5–2 record under coach George Evans. Sam P. McBirney, who coached the 2–3 team in 1908, returned to coach in 1914. His first two years back were successful, with a 6–2 record in 1914 and a 6–1–1 record the next year. The 1916 team went undefeated, bringing national attention to Tulsa. The 1916 team scored 566 points and allowed only 40 points, including an 81–0 win over Cumberland (TN) and an 117–0 victory over Missouri–Rolla. There were rumors that Tulsa would play Notre Dame for the Mid-America Championship, but the teams never met. After World War I, Kendall returned to success, going 8–0–1 under coach Francis Schmidt. Schmidt was known as "Close the Gates of Mercy" because he often scored many points against weaker teams. During his three years as coach, Kendall defeated Oklahoma Baptist 152–0, St. Gregory 121–0, and NE Oklahoma 151–0, along with a 92–0 win over East Central Oklahoma and 10 other victories by 60+ points. The 1919 season gave Kendall its first loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, but a 7–7 tie with Oklahoma A&M stopped the team from having a perfect season. Schmidt’s style led to his departure, as he attracted attention from University of Arkansas supporters after defeating the Razorbacks 63–7 in 1919. Schmidt coached the Hogs from 1922 to 1928. Howard Acher left a lasting impact on the program. After Schmidt left, Tulsa went 8–0 in 1922, including a 13–6 win over Arkansas in Fayetteville. Acher helped rename the team from "Golden Tornadoes" to "Golden Hurricane," a name that has remained since. Acher was replaced after three years by Gus Henderson. Henderson signed a large contract to leave the USC Trojans and coach the Golden Hurricane. Under Henderson, the team had great success, winning 62–17–3 in his first nine years and four Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference championships. Henderson also helped build Skelly Field, named after oil tycoon William Skelly, which opened in 1930. Tulsa won its first game at Skelly Field, 26–6 over Arkansas, and scored on the first offensive play after Arkansas fumbled the opening kickoff. Henderson brought the University of Tulsa into the Missouri Valley Conference for the 1935 season.

In 1941, Tulsa hired its 13th head coach, Henry Frnka, who was coaching at a high school in Greenville, Texas. Under Frnka, Tulsa finished 7–2 and received its first bowl invitation. Glenn Dobbs, considered the best player in Tulsa history, helped Frnka take the team to new heights. Tulsa defeated Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl because of a Glenn Dobbs pass to Sax Judd with little time remaining, the only score of the game. In 1942, Tulsa went 10–0, including wins against Oklahoma (23–0), Oklahoma A&M (34–6), and Arkansas (40–7). This earned the Golden Hurricane an invitation to the 1943 Sugar Bowl against Tennessee. Tulsa lost the game and the chance for a national championship on a late touchdown by Tennessee. Tulsa was ranked fourth at the end of the year, the highest in school history. The 1952 Missouri Valley Conference team had an 8–2–1 record and climbed to 11th in the AP Poll, earning an invitation to the Gator Bowl, one of only five post-season bowl games at the time. In 1955, Tulsa offered Bobby Dobbs the head coaching job. Bobby accepted and left the Air Force. At Tulsa, he took over a team that had gone 0–11 the previous season. In 1956, Tulsa posted a 7–2–1 record, and in 1958, the team went 7–3. These successes made Army consider Bobby as a replacement for Red Blaik, but Dale Hall was chosen instead. Dobbs’ most significant wins were a 24–16 victory over the undefeated Oklahoma State Cowboys in 1958 and a 17–6 win over tenth-ranked Missouri in 1958. Dobbs coached until 1963, leading the team to 116 wins and 54 losses.

In 1964,

Championships

Tulsa has won 35 conference championships, 29 of which were won alone and 6 were shared with another team. Tulsa has won the following division championships.

Bowl games

As of the end of the 2021 season, Tulsa has played in 23 bowl games, with a record of 11 wins and 12 losses.