The Nicholls Colonels are the 15 teams representing Nicholls State University, a university in

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, in intercollegiate athletics. The

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

s compete in the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...

and the Colonels football team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Colonels sports teams are members of the

Southland Conference The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it ...

Nickname

The Nicholls State University official team nickname is the "Colonels". The nickname was chosen because the university was once a ROTC dominated school and the highest rank in ROTC is a Colonel.

History

Conference affiliations

* From 1982–84, Nicholls (then athletically branded as "Nicholls State") was a provisional member of the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC). :*Men's sports – Only baseball played TAAC conference games

Sports sponsored

Baseball

The Nicholls Colonels baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate baseball team of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The team is a member of the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. Nicholls' first baseball team was fielded in 1960. The team plays its home games at 2,100-seat

Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field is a baseball venue in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. It is home to the Nicholls Colonels baseball team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA Division I (NCAA), Division I Southland C ...

and are coached by Mike Silva.

Men's basketball

The Nicholls Colonels men's basketball team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. Nicholls' first men's basketball team was fielded during the 1958–59 season. The team plays its home games at 3,800-seat Stopher Gymnasium and are coached by Austin Claunch. David R

Women's basketball

The Nicholls Colonels women's basketball team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. Nicholls' first women's basketball team was fielded during the 1974–75 season. The team plays its home games at 3,800-seat Stopher Gymnasium and are coached by DoBee Plaisance.

Women's beach volleyball

The Nicholls Colonels women's beach volleyball team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. Nicholls launched its beach volleyball program in the 2019 season (2018–19 school year), and played its first season as an independent. The Colonels now compete in the Southland Conference, which added beach volleyball as an official conference sport for the 2020 season. The team is coached by Kallie Noble.

Cross country

The Nicholls Colonels cross country program represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The program includes separate men's and women's cross country teams, both of which compete in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. The teams are coached by Stefanie Slekis.

Football

The Nicholls Colonels football program is the intercollegiate

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

team for Nicholls State University located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southland Conference. Nicholls' first football team was fielded in 1972. The team plays its home games at the 10,500 seat Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The Colonels are coached by Tim Rebowe.

Men's golf

The Nicholls Colonels men's golf team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. The team plays their home tournaments at the LaTour Golf Club in

Mathews, Louisiana Mathews is a census-designated place (CDP) on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,273 in 2020. It is part of the Houma– Bayou Cane–Thibodaux metropolitan statistical area. History On Au ...

and are currently led by head coach James Schilling.

Women's soccer

Nicholls Soccer Complex (Thibodaux, Louisiana)

The Nicholls Colonels women's soccer team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. Nicholls' first soccer team was fielded in 1998. The team plays its home games at the 1,000-seat Nicholls Soccer Complex through the 2021 season. The Colonels moved to the newly constructed multi-purpose field at the Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex in 2022. The team is coached by Robert Podeyn.

Softball

The Nicholls Colonels softball team represents Nicholls State University in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I college softball. The team participates in the Southland Conference. Nicholls first softball team was fielded in 1981. The team plays its home games at 500-seat

Swanner Field at Geo Surfaces Park Swanner Field at Geo Surfaces Park is a softball venue in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. It is home to the Nicholls Colonels softball team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA Division I (NCAA), Division I Southland Conferen ...

and are coached by Angel Santiago.

Men's tennis

The Nicholls Colonels men's tennis team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. The team plays its home matches at the Colonel Tennis Complex and are coached by Greg Harkins. Colonels Tennis Complex (Thibodaux, Louisiana)

Colonels Tennis Complex (Thibodaux, Louisiana)

Women's tennis

The Nicholls Colonels women's tennis team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. The team plays its home matches at the Colonel Tennis Complex and are coached by Greg Harkins.

Women's track and field

The Nicholls Colonels women's track and field program represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The program includes women's indoor and outdoor

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

teams, both of which compete in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. The teams are coached by Stefanie Slekis.

Women's volleyball

The Nicholls Colonels women's volleyball team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference, which is part of the NCAA Division I. Nicholls' first volleyball team was fielded in 1975. The team plays its home games at 3,800-seat Stopher Gymnasium and are coached by Kallie Noble.

Former varsity sports

*Women's golf — Dropped in 2009 due to budget constraints *Men's track and field (indoor and outdoor) — Dropped in 2004 and replaced by men's tennis

Championships

Conference championships *Baseball
Regular Season: 1974, '76, '85
Tournament: 1984, '98 *Men's Basketball
Regular Season: 1976, '79, '95, '98, 2018, '21
Tournament: 1995, '98 *Women's Basketball
Tournament: 2018 *Football
1975, '84, 2005, '18, '19
Playoff appearances: 1986, '96, 2005, '17, '18, '19 *Softball
Regular Season: 1992, '94–'96, 2018
Tournament: 1996, '97

Athletic facilities

The following is a list of the athletic facilities for the Nicholls Colonels. It includes Nicholls' outdoor stadiums, indoor arenas, golf courses, running courses, and training and practice facilities. * Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium
Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium is a 10,500-seat

multi-purpose stadium A multi-purpose stadium is a type of stadium designed to be easily used by multiple types of events. While any stadium could potentially host more than one type of sport or event, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy tha ...

Thibodaux, Louisiana Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal city ...

. It is home to the Nicholls Colonels football team of the

in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The stadium is named in honor of former state representative John L. Guidry who was instrumental in the establishment of Francis T. Nicholls Junior College. The playing surface is named Manning Field after the Manning family ( Peyton,

Eli Eli most commonly refers to: * Eli (name), a given name, nickname and surname * Eli (biblical figure) Eli or ELI may also refer to: Film * ''Eli'' (2015 film), a Tamil film * ''Eli'' (2019 film), an American horror film Music * ''Eli'' (Jan ...

, Cooper and Archie) because the family holds the annual Manning Passing Academy football camp at the facility. In 2021, Nicholls State University opened the Boucvalt Family Athletic Complex located at the south end-zone of John L. Guidry Stadium featuring upgraded locker and training rooms, field-level coach offices, and a 110-seat meeting room. The current playing surface is GeoGreen Replicated Grass. The stadium was officially dedicated on September 16, 1972. * Football Practice Fields
The football practice fields include three natural

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns a ...

football practice fields located across Acadia Drive from Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium, the Frank L. Barker Athletic Building and the

Leonard C. Chabert Strength and Conditioning Facility The Nicholls Colonels are the 15 teams representing Nicholls State University, a university in Louisiana, in intercollegiate athletics. The Colonels compete in the NCAA Division I and the Colonels football team competes in the NCAA Division I F ...

. Two of the fields face in a north-south configuration similar to Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium with a third facing in an east-west configuration. * Stopher Gymnasium
Stopher Gymnasium is a 3,800-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is home to the Nicholls Colonels men's and women's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...

s and women's

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

. It opened in 1970. *

Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field is a

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

venue in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is home to the

Nicholls Colonels baseball The Nicholls Colonels baseball team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. The team is a member of the Southland Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...

team of the NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference. The venue has a capacity of 2,100. * Colonel Tennis Complex
The Colonel Tennis Complex is a

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

venue in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is home to the Nicholls Colonels men's and women's tennis teams of the NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference. * LaTour Golf Club
The LaTour Golf Club located in

, is the home golf course of the Nicholls Colonels men's golf team of the NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference. It is an 18-hole, 7,170 yard, 72 par course and includes an on-site practice facility. * Nicholls Farm
Nicholls Farm is the home course for the Nicholls Colonels cross country teams in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is a 277-acre farm located three miles south of Nicholls’ campus. * Nicholls Golf Complex
The Nicholls Golf Complex is the

driving range A driving range is a facility or area where golfers can practice their golf swing. It can also be a recreational activity itself for amateur golfers or when enough time for a full game is not available. Many golf courses have a driving range att ...

complex located on the campus of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is a practice venue for the Nicholls Colonels men's golf team of the NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference. * Nicholls Soccer Complex
The Nicholls Soccer Complex is a soccer venue in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is home to the

Nicholls Colonels women's soccer The Nicholls Colonels women's soccer team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...

team of the NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference. The venue has a capacity of 1,000. *

Swanner Field at Geo Surfaces Park is a

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

venue in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is home to the Nicholls Colonels softball team of the NCAA Division I in the Southland Conference. The venue has a capacity of 500. * Frank L. Barker Athletic Building
The Frank L. Barker Athletic Building or Barker Hall is the athletic administration, football and

building for the Nicholls Colonels. The building also houses the Nicholls Colonels Athletics Hall of Fame. *

The Nicholls Colonels

strength Strength may refer to: Physical strength *Physical strength, as in people or animals * Hysterical strength, extreme strength occurring when people are in life-and-death situations *Superhuman strength, great physical strength far above human c ...

and conditioning facility is located inside the Leonard C. Chabert Strength and Conditioning Facility or Leonard C. Chabert Hall. It includes the

weight room Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the physical strength, strength, size of skeletal muscles and maintenance of strength.Keogh, Justin W, and Paul W Winwood. “Report for: The Epidemiology of Injuries Acros ...

and nutrition center for Nicholls athletics.

Former athletic facilities

* Atchafalaya Golf Course at Idlewild — Men's golf (2015–2018) * Shaver Gymnasium — Men's basketball (1958–1969)

Nicholls Colonels traditions

Nicholls State University Alma Mater

The name of the "official" Alma Mater for Nicholls State University is "Nicholls State University Alma Mater."

Nicholls Colonels Fight Song

The name of the "official" fight song for Nicholls State University is "Nicholls Colonels Fight Song."

Pride of Nicholls Marching Band

The "Pride of Nicholls" Marching Band is the

marching band A marching band is a group of musical instrument, instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instrument, brass, woodwind instrument, woodwind, and percus ...

which represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

Colonel Tillou

"Colonel Tillou" is the official athletics mascot for Nicholls State University. The modern version of Col. Tillou wears a bright red uniform topped off with a contemporary-style military officer's cap.

Nicholls School Colors

The "official" school colors for Nicholls are red and gray.

Nicholls Colonelettes and Colorguard

The Nicholls Colonelettes are the Nicholls dance team. This group performs at all home football games, one away football game, and all home basketball games. They participate in all pep rallies. The Nicholls Colorguard performs at all home football games.

Nicholls Cheerleaders

The Nicholls Cheerleaders are the co-ed cheerleading squad for the Nicholls Colonels. The cheerleaders perform at football games, basketball games and pep rallies in addition to a number of public relations and charitable events each year.

Rivalries

The Nicholls sports teams maintain a conference rivalry with the Southeastern Louisiana sports teams, but the main rivalry is in football where the teams compete in the annual

River Bell Classic The River Bell Classic is the annual football game between Nicholls State University and Southeastern Louisiana University with the winner being presented with the River Bell Trophy. The two schools are 94 miles apart and no two football-p ...

. The Nicholls sports teams also compete against conference rival

Northwestern State Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the Univer ...

and in football the teams play in the annual

NSU Challenge The NSU Challenge is an American college football rivalry game played annually between the Nicholls Colonels football team representing Nicholls State University and Northwestern State Demons football team representing Northwestern State Un ...

Nicholls State University Athletics Hall of Fame

Nicholls State Colonels-Frank L Barker Athletic Building

The purpose of the Nicholls State University Athletics Hall of Fame is to strengthen and perpetuate athletic tradition at the university. Members in the Athletics Hall of Fame shall consist only of those outstanding persons whose dedication and performance merit the great honors that the University can bestow. The Hall of Fame is located on the campus of Nicholls State University in the Frank L. Barker Athletic Building.

Colonel Athletic Association

The Colonel Athletic Association is the fundraising organization for the Nicholls State University athletics department. The athletic association helps to provide support to Nicholls' student-athletes and also focuses on fundraising activities for facility enhancements and operating expenses.

Athletic directors

''# denotes interim athletic director''

Broadcast information

Nicholls Colonels Radio Network

The Nicholls Colonels Radio Network is the radio network of the Nicholls Colonels men's and women's sports teams. It consists of several

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

s throughout the state of

. The list of participating stations are: * KLRZ 100.3 FM in Larose, Louisiana (flagship) * KLEB 1600 AM in Golden Meadow, Louisiana * KNSU 91.5 FM in Thibodaux, Louisiana

Streaming services

Nicholls Colonels games can be streamed online for free at Colonels All-Access. It is a video subscription service available through the Nicholls athletics department where viewers can watch a live stream of all non-televised home football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and volleyball events.

References

External links

* {{Louisiana Sports Sports teams in Thibodaux, Louisiana