Don the old red-and-gray, pull out your pom poms and get ready to cheer on the Colonels’ football team at Nicholls State University. With five home games still to come on the Colonels’ fall schedule, there are lots of opportunities to get in on the fun at a college football game, down-da-bayou-style.
To get the inside scoop on how to make the most of a Colonels’ gameday, we enlisted Kimber Ratcliff, Director of Athletics Engagement and Philanthropy at Nicholls State University. Ratcliff gave us the low-down on a full-day experience, beginning with breakfast and Bloody Marys at Spahr’s Downtown in Thibodaux. From there, she recommended picking up tailgating supplies at Grady V’s, Off the Hook, or the Nicholls’ themed Rouses right next to campus, before making your way to the tailgating area adjacent to the football field.
“It’s an all-day, family-oriented event, where everyone in the community comes out,” noted Ratcliff. “It’s the place to be seen, and the environment of a Nicholls’ game is one of the best. We’re all out here, having fun together.”
To party like a local and reserve your own tailgating spot, visit the Colonel Athletic Association, or else simply walk up and down and mingle with the crowd. You might be surprised at what you find.
Nicholls State University Football Field
“This is very much a Cajun environment,” explained Ratcliff. “You’ll see food like alligator, pulled pig, shrimp boils and crawfish boils. We have visiting fans walk through and say they can’t believe the stuff being cooked out here.”
Be sure to pick up some gourmet tailgating food at Kimbeaux’s Kitchen, the university’s own food truck run by its culinary school. Also, look out for the perpetually smiling mascot, Colonel Tillou, named after former Louisiana governor, Francis Tillou Nicholls. He’s always roaming about taking pictures with fans.
Sometimes the pre-game schedule is almost as important as the game itself. Ratcliff advises visitors to catch the Colonel Walk—when the players parade through cheering fans in the tailgating area, and the dance team performs at the alumni tent—before entering Guidry Stadium. To get the real inside scoop, she recommends huddling around for the Chalk Talk, when the head coach provides insights on what to watch for during the game, the biggest player matchups of the day, and some trick plays to look out for.
Then, get ready to root for the Colonels as quarterback (and Thibodaux native) Ean Rodrigue and the rest of the team take on their opponents at Manning Field. While every game is worth attending, the final home game against Southeastern, known as the River Bell Classic, will be the most heated rivalry.
As to the most important thing to remember? Ratcliff offers these words of wisdom, “Do not wear green on Nicholls’s campus.”
For more information and links to buy tickets, visit Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou’s Nicholls State Sports page.
