NSU Challenge
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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 University. Both universities are members of the Southland Conference. The NSU Trophy, which is a wooden trophy enscripted with NSU goes to the winning team. Although Nicholls has changed their athletic brand name from Nicholls State to Nicholls in 2018, thus not going by NSU anymore in athletics, the rivalry is still called the NSU Challenge.
History
The first game in the Nicholls–Northwestern State series was played in 1973.
Game results
| Nicholls victories | Northwestern State victories |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No.DateLocationWinnerScore1October 6, 1973Thibodaux, LANicholls State3–02October 12, 1974Natchitoches, LANicholls State7–03October 11, 1975Thibodaux, LANicholls State23–104October 9, 1976Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State20–85October 8, 1977Thibodaux, LANicholls State10–66October 28, 1978Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State28–187October 27, 1979Thibodaux, LANicholls State27–248November 8, 1980Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State21–149November 7, 1981Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State31–1710November 6, 1982Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State38–611November 5, 1983Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State24–2112October 11, 1984Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State19–013November 9, 1985Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State20–1414November 8, 1986Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State28–1315November 7, 1987Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State31–2816October 15, 1988Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State27–1217November 4, 1989Thibodaux, LANicholls State21–1518September 15, 1990Natchitoches, LANicholls State19–719November 16, 1991Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State16–1020November 14, 1992Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State44–621October 9, 1993Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State35–2122September 17, 1994Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State35–323October 7, 1995Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State34–1424October 12, 1996Thibodaux, LANicholls State19–1725September 27, 1997Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State19–026October 24, 1998Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State28–2627October 2, 1999Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State42–17No.DateLocationWinnerScore28October 14, 2000Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State27–2129October 20, 2001Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State47–1430October 24, 2002Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State21–1431October 25, 2003Natchitoches, LANicholls State40–3032October 21, 2004Thibodaux, LANicholls State40–1433November 5, 2005Natchitoches, LANicholls State31–2434October 21, 2006Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State9–035October 6, 2007Thibodaux, LANicholls State58–036October 11, 2008Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State36–2837November 14, 2009Thibodaux, LANicholls State28–2138November 13, 2010Natchitoches, LANicholls State37–739September 24, 2011Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State34–040October 27, 2012Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State27–2641October 12, 2013Thibodaux, LANicholls State33–2142November 15, 2014Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State48–2143October 31, 2015Thibodaux, LANorthwestern State37–2144October 29, 2016Natchitoches, LANicholls State31–1445October 7, 2017Thibodaux, LANicholls State14–1046October 6, 2018Natchitoches, LANicholls28–1047October 12, 2019Thibodaux, LANicholls45–3548March 6, 2021Natchitoches, LANicholls31–2449October 30, 2021Thibodaux, LANicholls42–2150October 1, 2022Natchitoches, LANorthwestern State36–3351October 9, 2024Thibodaux, LANicholls20–052November 15, 2025Thibodaux LANicholls26–21Series: Northwestern State leads 29–23Game scheduled for October 14, 2023, was canceled. | ||||
| 1 | October 6, 1973 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 3–0 |
| 2 | October 12, 1974 | Natchitoches, LA | Nicholls State | 7–0 |
| 3 | October 11, 1975 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 23–10 |
| 4 | October 9, 1976 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 20–8 |
| 5 | October 8, 1977 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 10–6 |
| 6 | October 28, 1978 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 28–18 |
| 7 | October 27, 1979 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 27–24 |
| 8 | November 8, 1980 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 21–14 |
| 9 | November 7, 1981 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 31–17 |
| 10 | November 6, 1982 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 38–6 |
| 11 | November 5, 1983 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 24–21 |
| 12 | October 11, 1984 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 19–0 |
| 13 | November 9, 1985 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 20–14 |
| 14 | November 8, 1986 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 28–13 |
| 15 | November 7, 1987 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 31–28 |
| 16 | October 15, 1988 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 27–12 |
| 17 | November 4, 1989 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 21–15 |
| 18 | September 15, 1990 | Natchitoches, LA | Nicholls State | 19–7 |
| 19 | November 16, 1991 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 16–10 |
| 20 | November 14, 1992 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 44–6 |
| 21 | October 9, 1993 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 35–21 |
| 22 | September 17, 1994 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 35–3 |
| 23 | October 7, 1995 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 34–14 |
| 24 | October 12, 1996 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 19–17 |
| 25 | September 27, 1997 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 19–0 |
| 26 | October 24, 1998 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 28–26 |
| 27 | October 2, 1999 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 42–17 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 28 | October 14, 2000 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 27–21 |
| 29 | October 20, 2001 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 47–14 |
| 30 | October 24, 2002 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 21–14 |
| 31 | October 25, 2003 | Natchitoches, LA | Nicholls State | 40–30 |
| 32 | October 21, 2004 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 40–14 |
| 33 | November 5, 2005 | Natchitoches, LA | Nicholls State | 31–24 |
| 34 | October 21, 2006 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 9–0 |
| 35 | October 6, 2007 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 58–0 |
| 36 | October 11, 2008 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 36–28 |
| 37 | November 14, 2009 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 28–21 |
| 38 | November 13, 2010 | Natchitoches, LA | Nicholls State | 37–7 |
| 39 | September 24, 2011 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 34–0 |
| 40 | October 27, 2012 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 27–26 |
| 41 | October 12, 2013 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 33–21 |
| 42 | November 15, 2014 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 48–21 |
| 43 | October 31, 2015 | Thibodaux, LA | Northwestern State | 37–21 |
| 44 | October 29, 2016 | Natchitoches, LA | Nicholls State | 31–14 |
| 45 | October 7, 2017 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 14–10 |
| 46 | October 6, 2018 | Natchitoches, LA | Nicholls | 28–10 |
| 47 | October 12, 2019 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls | 45–35 |
| 48 | March 6, 2021 | Natchitoches, LA | Nicholls | 31–24 |
| 49 | October 30, 2021 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls | 42–21 |
| 50 | October 1, 2022 | Natchitoches, LA | Northwestern State | 36–33 |
| 51 | October 9, 2024 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls | 20–0 |
| 52 | November 15, 2025 | Thibodaux LA | Nicholls | 26–21 |
| Series: Northwestern State leads 29–23 | ||||
| Game scheduled for October 14, 2023, was canceled. |