The Tulsa Golden Hurricane football program represents the University of Tulsa in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. Tulsa has competed in the American Athletic Conference since the 2014 season and was previously a member of Conference USA (C-USA). The team is led by head coach Kevin Wilson. Tulsa plays its home games at Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The University of Tulsa has the smallest undergraduate enrollment of all schools that participate at the FBS level.

Running up the score is a sports strategy that occurs when a competitor continues to play in such a way as to score additional points after the outcome of the game is no longer realistically in question and they are all but assured of winning. More sportsmanlike alternatives might include pulling out most of the team's first-string players, or calling plays designed to run out the clock. Mercy rules are used in some amateur sports, which end the game when the score differential reaches a certain point. Running up the score has generally been considered controversial and has been subject to debate between those who support and oppose the use of the strategy.