# River Bell Classic

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 |
| 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 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 19 | November 19, 2009 | Hammond, LA | Nicholls State | 45–30 |
| 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 |
| Series: Southeastern Louisiana leads 18–17 |||||