River Bell Classic
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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. 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.
The River Bell Trophy, which was redesigned for the 2012 contest, is a wooden trophy which has a ship's bell under an arch which reads "River Bell Classic". On each side of the bell are the teams' athletic logos with Nicholls on the left and Southeastern Louisiana on the right. Underneath the bell is a plaque surrounded by the yearly victors on each side of the plaque. The trophy was conceived by the Phi Chapter Alumni Association of Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity at Southeastern Louisiana.
Game results
| Nicholls victories | Southeastern Louisiana victories |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No.DateLocationWinnerScore1September 30, 1972Hammond, LASoutheastern Louisiana31–92September 29, 1973Hammond, LASoutheastern Louisiana10–03November 16, 1974Thibodaux, LANicholls State10–04November 15, 1975New Orleans, LANicholls State14–65November 13, 1976New Orleans, LASoutheastern Louisiana17–76November 12, 1977Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana17–147November 11, 1978New Orleans, LASoutheastern Louisiana10–08November 10, 1979Hammond, LASoutheastern Louisiana38–09November 15, 1980Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana35–2010November 14, 1981Hammond, LANicholls State29–1711November 20, 1982Thibodaux, LANicholls State20–1412November 19, 1983Hammond, LANicholls State6–013November 17, 1984Thibodaux, LANicholls State36–714November 23, 1985Hammond, LANicholls State21–1715November 12, 2005Hammond, LANicholls State38–2816October 7, 2006Thibodaux, LANicholls State14–1017November 17, 2007Hammond, LASoutheastern Louisiana17–1318November 22, 2008Thibodaux, LANicholls State35–2819November 19, 2009Hammond, LANicholls State45–30No.DateLocationWinnerScore20November 18, 2010Thibodaux, LANicholls State27–2521November 17, 2011Hammond, LASoutheastern Louisiana31–1422November 15, 2012Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana35–1623November 21, 2013Hammond, LASoutheastern Louisiana52–2724November 20, 2014Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana62–325November 19, 2015Hammond, LANicholls State27–2426November 17, 2016Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana44–4227November 16, 2017Hammond, LASoutheastern Louisiana21–1728November 15, 2018Thibodaux, LANicholls44–029November 21, 2019Hammond, LANicholls28–2730April 10, 2021Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana52–4531October 9, 2021Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana58–4832November 18, 2021Hammond, LANicholls45–4233November 17, 2022Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana40–1734November 16, 2023Hammond, LANicholls21–1635November 21, 2024Thibodaux, LASoutheastern Louisiana19–1636November 20, 2025Hammond, LASoutheastern Louisiana38–26Series: Southeastern Louisiana leads 19–17 | ||||
| 1 | September 30, 1972 | Hammond, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 31–9 |
| 2 | September 29, 1973 | Hammond, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 10–0 |
| 3 | November 16, 1974 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 10–0 |
| 4 | November 15, 1975 | New Orleans, LA | Nicholls State | 14–6 |
| 5 | November 13, 1976 | New Orleans, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 17–7 |
| 6 | November 12, 1977 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 17–14 |
| 7 | November 11, 1978 | New Orleans, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 10–0 |
| 8 | November 10, 1979 | Hammond, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 38–0 |
| 9 | November 15, 1980 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 35–20 |
| 10 | November 14, 1981 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls State | 29–17 |
| 11 | November 20, 1982 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 20–14 |
| 12 | November 19, 1983 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls State | 6–0 |
| 13 | November 17, 1984 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 36–7 |
| 14 | November 23, 1985 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls State | 21–17 |
| 15 | November 12, 2005 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls State | 38–28 |
| 16 | October 7, 2006 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 14–10 |
| 17 | November 17, 2007 | Hammond, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 17–13 |
| 18 | November 22, 2008 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 35–28 |
| 19 | November 19, 2009 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls State | 45–30 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 20 | November 18, 2010 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls State | 27–25 |
| 21 | November 17, 2011 | Hammond, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 31–14 |
| 22 | November 15, 2012 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 35–16 |
| 23 | November 21, 2013 | Hammond, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 52–27 |
| 24 | November 20, 2014 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 62–3 |
| 25 | November 19, 2015 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls State | 27–24 |
| 26 | November 17, 2016 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 44–42 |
| 27 | November 16, 2017 | Hammond, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 21–17 |
| 28 | November 15, 2018 | Thibodaux, LA | Nicholls | 44–0 |
| 29 | November 21, 2019 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls | 28–27 |
| 30 | April 10, 2021 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 52–45 |
| 31 | October 9, 2021 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 58–48 |
| 32 | November 18, 2021 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls | 45–42 |
| 33 | November 17, 2022 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 40–17 |
| 34 | November 16, 2023 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls | 21–16 |
| 35 | November 21, 2024 | Thibodaux, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 19–16 |
| 36 | November 20, 2025 | Hammond, LA | Southeastern Louisiana | 38–26 |
| Series: Southeastern Louisiana leads 19–17 |