NSU Challenge
Statistics
Nicholls Colonels Northwestern State Demons
Sport	Football
First meeting	October 6, 1973 Nicholls State 3, Northwestern State 0
Latest meeting	October 1, 2022 Northwestern State 36, Nicholls 33
Next meeting	November 9, 2024
Trophy	NSU Trophy
Meetings total	50
All-time series	Northwestern State leads, 29–21
Largest victory	Nicholls State, 58–0 (2007)
Longest win streak	Northwestern State, 9 (1980–1988)
Current win streak	Northwestern State, 1 (2022–present)

Locations of Nicholls and Northwestern State

The NSU Challenge is an American college football rivalry game^[1] played annually between the Nicholls Colonels football team representing Nicholls State University and Northwestern State Demons football team representing Northwestern State University.^[2] Both universities are members of the Southland Conference. The NSU Trophy, which is a wooden trophy enscripted with NSU goes to the winning team.^[3]^[4] 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.^[5]

Game results

Nicholls victories	Northwestern State victories

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
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

No.	Date	Location	Winner	Score
27	October 2, 1999	Natchitoches, LA	Northwestern State	42–17
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
Series: Northwestern State leads 29–21
Game scheduled for October 14, 2023 was canceled.^[6]

v t e Nicholls Colonels football
Venues	Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium (1972–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Northwestern State: NSU Challenge Southeastern Louisiana: River Bell Classic Texas State: Battle for the Paddle
Culture & lore	Colonel Tillou Pride of Nicholls Marching Band Nicholls State Alma Mater Nicholls State Colonels Fight Song Colonelettes and Colorguard Nicholls Cheerleaders
People	Head coaches All-Americans NFL draftees
Seasons	1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

v t e Northwestern State Demons football
Venues	Harry Turpin Stadium (1976–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Louisiana–Monroe Louisiana Tech McNeese Nicholls: NSU Challenge Southeastern Louisiana Stephen F. Austin: Chief Caddo
Culture & lore	Vic the Demon Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

v t e Southland Conference football rivalries
Conference	Battle of the Border (Lamar–McNeese) McNeese–Northwestern State NSU Challenge (Nicholls–Northwestern State) River Bell Classic (Nicholls–Southeastern Louisiana) Northwestern State–Southeastern Louisiana
Non-conference	Red Beans and Rice Bowl (Central Arkansas–McNeese) Sabine Shoe (Lamar–Louisiana) Cajun Crown (Louisiana–McNeese) Cypress Mug (Louisiana–Southeastern Louisiana) Louisiana Tech–Northwestern State Louisiana–Monroe–Northwestern State Battle for the Paddle (Nicholls–Texas State) Chief Caddo (Northwestern State–Stephen F. Austin)