Memphis, Tenn. – The 2008 football season officially began today with Conference USA Media Day at the Peabody Hotel. Second-year head coach Bob Toledo, along with seniors Michael Parenton and Reggie Scott, represented the Green Wave at the annual event.

Players and coaches from each of the C-USA’s 12 member schools met with media representatives from around the nation. Toledo, Parenton and Scott took turns answering questions about the upcoming season from both writers and electronic media, and also taped several NCAA/C-USA Public Announcements.

“Media Day makes you realize how close you are to the beginning the season and that it’s now here,” Toledo said. “It’s fun and exciting to see the other league coaches and their players, and it’s good to talk to all the media outlets that cover the other schools that we complete against. It’s been a fun time and it’s always interesting to see the predictions and then watch how they end up when it’s over.

“The most common question was how do we replace Matt Forte, and of course my answer was you don’t replace Matt. You have to hope that you have someone in line that can be competitive in that position and I believe we do in Andre Anderson.”

During the afternoon, Toledo, Parenton and Scott were featured in a live segment on CBS College Sports, which was hosted by Carter Blackburn and Trev Alberts.

On Monday, the attending student-athletes will visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. St. Jude is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other diseases. Players will have a chance to speak to selected patients and hand out C-USA t-shirts, while taking a tour of the facility.

“Last year, we were picked to not win a football game and we won four, and lost three by a total of nine points. This league has a very difficult non-conference schedule in that we play a lot of Southeastern Conference and Big 12 Conference type teams. On the other hand, we play a very demanding conference schedule and I believe any team can beat anybody in this league on any given day,” Toledo said.

The Green Wave opens the 2008 campaign on the road at Southeastern Conference member Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 6. Tulane hosts C-USA rival East Carolina in its home opener at 2 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Louisiana Superdome.

Season tickets remain on sale through the Tulane Athletics Ticket Office. For ticket information, visit the ticket office on the first floor of the James W. Wilson, Jr. Center, by phone at 504-861-WAVE or stop by on-line at www.TulaneGreenWave.com.