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 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Colonels sports teams are members of the Southland Conference.
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 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.
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 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 and are currently led by head coach James Schilling.
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 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 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 and are coached by Angel Santiago.