# NSU Challenge

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 |
| 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 |
| Series: Northwestern State leads 29–22 |||||
| Game scheduled for October 14, 2023, was canceled. |||||