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Nicholls Colonels football

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Not to be confused with Nichols Bison football.
Nicholls Colonels football
2024 Nicholls Colonels football team
First season1972; 52 years ago
Athletic directorJonathan Terrell
Head coachTommy Rybacki
1st season, 0–0 (–)
StadiumManning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium
(capacity: 10,500)
Field surfaceGeoGreen artificial turf
LocationThibodaux, Louisiana
NCAA divisionDivision I FCS
ConferenceSouthland Conference
All-time record231–317–4 (.422)
Playoff appearances7
Playoff record3–7 (Div. I FCS)
Conference titles6
1975, 1984, 2005, 2018, 2019, 2023
RivalriesSoutheastern Louisiana (rivalry)
Northwestern State (rivalry)
Texas State (rivalry)
Consensus All-Americans15
ColorsRed and gray[1]
   
Fight songNicholls State Colonels Fight Song
MascotColonel Tillou
Marching bandPride of Nicholls Marching Band
WebsiteGeauxColonels.com
Nicholls Colonels

The Nicholls Colonels football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Nicholls State University located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, United States.[2][3] The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southland Conference.[4][5] 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 Tommy Rybacki.[6]

History

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See also: List of Nicholls Colonels football seasons

Source:[7]

Conference affiliations

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Years Conference Classification
1972 Gulf South Conference NCAA College Division
1973–1978 Gulf South Conference Division II
1979 Independent Division II
1980–1983 Independent Division I-AA
1984–1986 Gulf Star Conference Division I-AA
1987–1990 Independent Division I-AA
1991–2005 Southland Conference Division I-AA
2006–present Southland Conference Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)

Championships

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Conference championships

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Head coaches

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Main article: List of Nicholls Colonels head football coaches
Years Name Won Lost Tie Pct.
1972–1973 Gary Kinchen 5 17 0 .227
1974–1980 Bill Clements 36 39 1 .480
1981–1986 Sonny Jackson 39 28 1 .581
1987–1992 Phil Greco 27 37 2 .424
1993–1994 Rick Rhoades 8 14 0 .364
1995–1998* Darren Barbier 17 28 0 .378
1999–2003 Daryl Daye 13 42 0 .236
2004–2009 Jay Thomas 27 35 0 .435
2010–2014 Charlie Stubbs 10 38 0 .208
2014** Steve Axman 0 9 0 .000
2015–present Tim Rebowe 53 48 0 .525

*1996 I-AA National Coach of the Year, Eddie Robinson Award Recipient
**Interim head coach for final nine games of 2014 season

Division I-AA/Division I FCS Playoffs

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The Colonels have qualified for the Division I-AA/FCS playoffs seven times, with a combined record of 3–7.

Year Round Classification Opponent Result Game Name
1986 First Round
Quarterfinals 		NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs Appalachian State
Georgia Southern 		W 28–26
L 31–55
(Grantland Rice Bowl)
1996 First Round NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs Montana L 3–48
2005 First Round NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs Furman L 12–14
2017 First Round NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs South Dakota L 31–38
2018 First Round
Second Round 		NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs San Diego
Eastern Washington 		W 49–30
L 21–42
2019 First Round
Second Round 		NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs North Dakota
North Dakota State 		W 24–6
L 13–37
2023 First Round NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs Southern Illinois L 0–35

Notable players

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All-Americans

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Main article: List of Nicholls Colonels football All-Americans
Year Name Position Team
1976 Gerald Butler WR Kodak First Team (AFCA)
1977 Rusty Rebowe LB AP First Team; Kodak First Team (AFCA); NCAA All-American
1981 Dwight Walker WR AP First Team; Kodak First Team (AFCA)
1982 Clint Conque LB AP First Team
1982 Jay Pennison OL AP Second Team
1983 Jay Pennison OL AP Second Team
1984 Dewayne Harrison TE AP First Team
1985 Lynn Bychurch OL AP Second Team
1986 Mark Carrier WR AP First Team; Kodak First Team (AFCA)
1987 Alfred Dorsey WR AP Second Team
1987 Karl Hill DB AP Third Team
1987 Reed Pere’ OL AP Third Team
1991 Darryl Pounds DB AP Second Team
1994 Brian Desselles P AP Second Team
1994 Darryl Pounds DB AP First Team
2007 Kareem Moore DB AP Second Team
2007 Lardarius Webb DB Walter Camp Foundation First Team
2008 Lardarius Webb DB AP First Team

Nicholls Colonels selected in the NFL Draft

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Main article: List of Nicholls Colonels in the NFL draft
Year Name Position Team Round Overall pick
1976 Gary Barbaro DB Kansas City Chiefs 3rd Round 74th
1977 Gerald Butler WR Chicago Bears 7th Round 182nd
1982 Dwight Walker WR Cleveland Browns 4th Round 87th
1984 Johnny Meads LB Houston Oilers 3rd Round 58th
1985 Anthony Tuggle DB Cincinnati Bengals 4th Round 97th
1985 Lionel Vital RB Washington Redskins 7th Round 187th
1986 Oscar Smith RB Detroit Lions 5th Round 119th
1987 Mark Carrier WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3rd Round 57th
1987 Doug Hudson QB Kansas City Chiefs 6th Round 186th
1989 Jamie Lawson FB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5th Round 117th
1990 Dee Thomas DB Houston Oilers 10th Round 264th
1995 Darryl Pounds DB Washington Redskins 3rd Round 68th
2004 Chris Thompson DB Jacksonville Jaguars 5th Round 110th
2007 Jacob Bender OL New York Jets 6th Round 177th
2008 Kareem Moore DB Washington Redskins 6th Round 180th
2009 Lardarius Webb DB Baltimore Ravens 3rd Round 88th

Stadium

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Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium

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Main article: Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium
Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium

Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose stadium in Thibodaux, Louisiana.[8] It is home to the Nicholls Colonels football team of the Southland Conference 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, Cooper and Archie) because the family holds the annual Manning Passing Academy football camp at the facility.[9] The current playing surface is GeoGreen Replicated Grass.[10] The stadium was officially dedicated on September 16, 1972.

The stadium features a three-level press box on the west side with a photo deck located on the roof.[8] The president's suite and a 30-seat club level is located on the third level. The second level houses an area for game management staff, television, radio and coaches' booths and a working press area. On the ground level is the Colonels Club Room. Members use the club room as a hospitality area before home football games as well as for various university functions throughout the year.

On June 12, 2019, Nicholls announced a new $6.5 million, 20,000-square-foot football operations center will be built in the south end zone along with an expansion and renovation of the Frank L. Barker Athletic Building.[11][12] The football team will move from the Barker Athletic Building to the football operations center starting with the 2020 Nicholls Football season.[11][12] The football operations center will include a new locker room, players’ lounge, 142-seat team meeting room with stadium-style seating, training room, equipment room, coaches’ and staff offices, position and group meeting rooms, catering kitchen and team lobby.[11] The team meeting room will also function as a gameday club seating area with a large window overlooking the field.[12] Construction of an indoor training facility located behind the football operations center will begin after completion of the football operations center.[12][13]

Practice and training facilities

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Frank L. Barker Athletic Building
Leonard C. Chabert Strength and Conditioning Facility
Football Practice Fields

Frank L. Barker Athletic Building

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The Frank L. Barker Athletic Building or Barker Hall is located adjacent to Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium. It houses the Nicholls Colonels football coaches’ offices, locker rooms, meeting rooms, athletic training rooms and athletic staff.[11]

The Nicholls Athletics Hall of Fame is also located in the building.

Leonard C. Chabert Strength and Conditioning Facility

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The Nicholls Colonels Strength and Conditioning facility is located in the Leonard C. Chabert Strength and Conditioning Facility or Leonard C. Chabert Hall. The facility has multi-purpose power stations, weight machines, dumbbell stations, elliptical machines and stationary bikes. It is the strength and conditioning facility and nutrition center for Nicholls athletics.[11]

Football practice fields

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The Nicholls Colonels football practice fields include three natural grass 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.[14] 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.

Rivalries

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Nicholls Colonels vs. LSU Tigers

Southeastern Louisiana

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Main article: River Bell Classic

Nicholls and Southeastern Louisiana are located 94 miles apart and no two football-playing schools in the Southland Conference are as close as the two schools. The winner of the annual football game is awarded the River Bell Trophy. The trophy features a river bell, the teams athletic logos and details the yearly victors. The game played between the rivals began in 1972 and was played annually until 1985 when Southeastern Louisiana dropped its football program. It resumed 20 years later in 2005 when football was reinstated by the university.

Northwestern State

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Main article: NSU Challenge

The football rivalry game with Northwestern State is played annually with the winner being awarded the NSU Trophy. Both universities are located in Louisiana and are members of the Southland Conference. The first game in the series was played in 1973.

Texas State

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Main article: Battle for the Paddle

In fall 1998, the Colonels were scheduled to take on the Texas State Bobcats. Prior to the game, heavy rains flooded San Marcos, Texas and the playing field at Texas State. Athletic directors and coaches from both schools decided to postpone the game and coined the annual contest the "Battle for the Paddle," joking that fans and athletes needed to use a boat and paddle to get to the game. The game was eventually played on November 28, 1998, with Texas State prevailing 28–27 to win the first "Battle for the Paddle". A wooden oar or paddle named the "Paddle Trophy" was awarded to the winner of the contest.

Future non-conference opponents

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Announced non-conference opponents as of September 13, 2024.[15]

2025 2026 2027
at Troy at Louisiana Tech
at Texas State Southern

Media

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The Colonels are broadcast on Cox Sports Television. Cox Sports Television is available to 4 million viewers across 18 states. CST has over 40 affiliates in Louisiana, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge. "Voice of the Colonels" Jack Benjamin will provide play-by-play for the broadcasts and will be joined in the booth by Ronnie Rantz. The games also can be heard on the Colonel Sports Radio Network via 1600 AM KLEB, and on the TuneIn app and website.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Nicholls Colors – Nicholls Branding Guide". Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  2. ^ "Nicholls State Colonels media guide". geauxcolonels.com. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  3. ^ "Nicholls State Colonels football team page". ESPN. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  4. ^ "Nicholls State Colonels". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
  5. ^ "Nicholls State Colonels". cbssports.com. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
  6. ^ "Rebowe announces retirement, Rybacki to be named head coach". Nicholls Athletics. December 1, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  7. ^ "Nicholls State Colonels Yearly Totals". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Nicholls State Colonels football media guide" (PDF). Nicholls State University Athletics. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  9. ^ "Football field's namesake brings academy to campus". The Nicholls Worth. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  10. ^ "Guidry Stadium field turf installation underway". geauxcolonels.com. May 3, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Nicholls receives gift for Barker Hall Expansion, Football Operations Center". crescentcitysports.com. June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  12. ^ a b c d "Nicholls unveils plans for $6.5 million football facility". dailycomet.com. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  13. ^ "Nicholls receives gift for Barker Hall Expansion, Football Operations Center". geauxcolonels.com. June 12, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  14. ^ "Nicholls Map". Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  15. ^ "Nicholls Colonels Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
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