Battle for the Paddle


Nicholls State Colonels	Texas State Bobcats

Sport(s)

Football

Total meetings

Series record

Nicholls State leads, 16–14

First meeting

October 4, 1980
Nicholls State 24, Southwest Texas State 21

Last meeting

October 1, 2011
Texas State 38, Nicholls State 12

Next meeting

–

Largest win

Nicholls State, 63–37 (1993)

Longest win streak

3 games, three times by Nicholls State, and twice by Texas State

Current win streak

Texas State, 1 (2011–present)

Trophy

Paddle Trophy

The Battle for the Paddle is the result of a game postponement. In fall 1998, the Nicholls State Colonels were scheduled to take on the Texas State Bobcats. Prior to the game, heavy rains flooded San Marcos, Texas and the field at Texas State.^[1] Athletic directors and coaches from both schools decided to postpone the game and coined the annual contest the "Battle for the Paddle," joking that fans and athletes needed to use a boat and paddle to get to the game. The game eventually took place on November 28, 1998 with Texas State prevailing 28–27 to win the Paddle Trophy.

Nicholls State Athletic Director Rob Bernardi brought controversy to the final chapter of the rivalry in 2011, when he refused to bring the Paddle Trophy to San Marcos due to Texas State having a scholarship advantage as an FCS transitional school.^[2] Texas State won the last Battle for the Paddle 38–12.^[3] It is unknown whether the two schools will schedule each other in the future.

Nicholls State leads series 16–14.

Game results

Nicholls State victories
Texas State victories

#	Date	Location	Winner	Score		Series
#	Date	Location	Winner	NSU	TxSt	Series
1	October 4, 1980	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	24	21	NSU 1–0
2	September 18, 1982	San Marcos, TX	Southwest Texas State	7	14	Tied 1–1
3	November 10, 1984	San Marcos, TX	Nicholls State	30	14	NSU 2–1
4	October 26, 1985	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	20	12	NSU 3–1
5	October 25, 1986	San Marcos, TX	Nicholls State	35	21	NSU 4–1
6	October 24, 1987	Thibodaux, LA	Southwest Texas State	16	31	NSU 4–2
7	October 29, 1988	San Marcos, TX	Nicholls State	13	10	NSU 5–2
8	October 21, 1989	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	22	21	NSU 6–2
9	September 29, 1990	San Marcos, TX	Southwest Texas State	30	33	NSU 6–3
10	September 28, 1991	Thibodaux, LA	Southwest Texas State	10	19	NSU 6–4
11	October 3, 1992	San Marcos, TX	Southwest Texas State	13	38	NSU 6–5
12	October 23, 1993	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	63	37	NSU 7–5
13	October 22, 1994	San Marcos, TX	Southwest Texas State	26	27	NSU 7–6
14	October 21, 1995	Thibodaux, LA	Southwest Texas State	25	35	Tied 7–7
15	October 26, 1996	San Marcos, TX	Nicholls State	49	36	NSU 8–7
16	October 11, 1997	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	29	28	NSU 9–7
17	November 28, 1998	San Marcos, TX	Southwest Texas State	27	28	NSU 9–8
18	October 9, 1999	Thibodaux, LA	Southwest Texas State	0	16	Tied 9–9
19	October 7, 2000	San Marcos, TX	Southwest Texas State	0	25	SWTS 10–9
20	October 27, 2001	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	33	14	Tied 10–10
21	October 19, 2002	San Marcos, TX	Nicholls State	24	21	NSU 11–10
22	November 6, 2003	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	31	13	NSU 12–10
23	November 13, 2004	San Marcos, TX	Texas State	12	35	NSU 12–11
24	October 29, 2005	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	32	29	NSU 13–11
25	November 2, 2006	San Marcos, TX	Nicholls State	21	19	NSU 14–11
26	November 10, 2007	Thibodaux, LA	Nicholls State	52	28	NSU 15–11
27	November 15, 2008	San Marcos, TX	Texas State	10	34	NSU 15–12
28	October 17, 2009	Thibodaux, LA	Texas State	28	34	NSU 15–13
29	October 16, 2010	San Marcos, TX	Nicholls State	47	45	NSU 16–13
30	October 1, 2011	San Marcos, TX	Texas State	12	38	NSU 16–14
	Totals			741	776	NSU 16–14

^[4]

References

↑ http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/sports/x356193280/College-Football-A-tradition-born-from-tragedy Retrieved January 19, 2013
↑ http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20110930/OPINION01/110939974/1026/news01?p=2&tc=pg Retrieved October 9, 2012
↑ http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/college_sports/college_football/article/Texas-State-paddles-Nicholls-State-38-12-2198779.php Retrieved January 19, 2013
↑ "Texas State vs Nicholls State - All Time". cfreference.net. Retrieved 2013-01-28.

Nicholls State Colonels football

Venues	Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium (1972–present) Barker Athletic Building Chabert Strength and Conditioning Facility

Bowls & rivalries	Playoffs Northwestern State: NSU Challenge Southeastern Louisiana: River Bell Classic Texas State: Battle for the Paddle

Culture & lore	Championships History Colonel Tillou The 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

Texas State Bobcats football

Venues	Bobcat Stadium (1981–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Nicholls State: Battle for the Paddle UTSA: I-35 Rivalry

Culture & lore	Boko the Bobcat "Go Bobcats!" The Pride of the Hill Country

People	Head coaches NFL draftees

Seasons	1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1922 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

National championship seasons in bold

Southland Conference football rivalries

Conference	Battle of the Border (Lamar–McNeese State) Battle of the Piney Woods (Sam Houston State–Stephen F. Austin) Chief Caddo (Northwestern State–Stephen F. Austin) McNeese State–Northwestern State Northwestern State–Southeastern Louisiana NSU Challenge (Nicholls State–Northwestern State) Red Beans and Rice Bowl (Central Arkansas–McNeese State) River Bell Classic (Nicholls State–Southeastern Louisiana)

Non-conference	Battle for the Paddle (Nicholls State–Texas State) Cajun Crown (McNeese State–ULL) Cypress Mug (Southeastern Louisiana–ULL) Northwestern State–ULM Sabine Shoe (Lamar–ULL)

Sun Belt Conference football rivalries

Conference	Battle on the Bayou (ULL–ULM) Arkansas State–Louisiana–Monroe Appalachian State–Georgia Southern Georgia Southern–Georgia State South Alabama–Troy

Non-conference	Battle for the Ol' School Bell (Jacksonville State–Troy) Battle for the Old Mountain Jug (Appalachian State–Western Carolina) Battle for the Paddle (Nicholls State–Texas State) Battle for the Palladium (Middle Tennessee–Troy) Battle of I-10 (New Mexico State–UTEP) Battle of the Palouse (Idaho–Washington State) Boise State–Idaho Cajun Crown (McNeese State–ULL) Cypress Mug (Southeastern Louisiana–ULL) I-35 Rivalry (Texas State–UTSA) Little Brown Stein (Idaho–Montana) Louisiana Tech–ULM Northwestern State–ULM Paint Bucket Bowl (Arkansas State–Memphis) Rio Grande Rivalry (New Mexico–New Mexico State) Sabine Shoe (Lamar–ULL)

Battle for the Paddle

Game results

See also

References