Northwestern State Demons
SouthlandNatchitoches, LAHarry Turpin Stadium
2026: 0–7 (0–4 Southland). Last: lost to McNeese 24–21 at home. Next: Nicholls, Saturday, Oct 24, 3 p.m. ET.
- L 37–42Louisiana Christian
- L 6–80at Louisiana Tech
- L 14–38at East Texas A&M
- L 20–49at Weber State
- L 21–52SE Louisiana
- L 14–42at Lamar
- L 21–24McNeese
- Oct 24Nicholls
- Oct 31at Incarnate Word
- Nov 7UT Rio Grande Valley
- Nov 14Houston Christian
- Nov 19at Stephen F. Austin
Northwestern State has played football since 1907 and is officially 632–409–40; 359 of its 1,081 games are in our file. They have won six Gulf States Conference titles (the last in 1972), plus four Southland Conference titles, one Gulf Star Conference title, one Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association title, counting shared titles. Since 1955, the NFL Draft has taken 28 players from here in its first seven rounds, 1 of them in the first round. The College Football Hall of Fame holds 2 players from Northwestern State. The most-played rival is McNeese: 30 meetings, McNeese leads 25–5. This season, they’re 0–7.
Résumé
- All-time record
- 632–409–40 official; 113–244–2 on file; how we count
- Postseason
- 0–0 bowls, title games, playoff
- AP No. 1 finishes
- 0
- Weeks at No. 1
- 0 of 0 ranked
- Elo now
- 1029
- Computer rankings
- Massey No. 124 · Composite No. 123 in FCS, Oct 17. From Massey Ratings
- Conference titles
- 12 last in 2004
- Seasons
- 75 since 1911, 359 games
Identity
- Fight song
- Northwestern Fight
2026 season 0–7
RosterFull 2026 season| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27 | vsLouisiana Christian | L 37–42 | 52% |
| Sep 5 | at Louisiana Tech | L 6–80 | 6% |
| Sep 12 | at East Texas A&M | L 14–38 | 29% |
| Sep 19 | at Weber State | L 20–49 | 20% |
| Sep 26 | vs SE Louisiana | L 21–52 | 21% |
| Oct 3 | at Lamar | L 14–42 | 10% |
| Oct 17 | vs McNeese | L 21–24 | 29% |
| Oct 24 | vs Nicholls | Preview | 35% |
| Oct 31 | at Incarnate Word | Preview | 11% |
| Nov 7 | vs UT Rio Grande Valley | Preview | 19% |
| Nov 14 | vs Houston Christian | Preview | 27% |
| Nov 19 | at Stephen F. Austin | Preview | 4% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
This season, game by game
Players
The 2026 rosterThe moneyOn the 2026 team
- Zach Wilcke1,045 passing yards, 9 TD (leads Northwestern State in passing yards)
- Zay Davis264 rushing yards, 2 TD (leads Northwestern State in rushing yards)
- Joe Natali45 tackles, 1 INT (leads Northwestern State in tackles)
- Danny Sears40 tackles, 0.5 sacks
- Kabriel Anderson-Dale33 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT
- Abram Johnston426 passing yards, 3 TD
Program greats See all
Heisman finalists, College Football Hall of Famers, consensus All-Americans, national award winners and first-round picks, for what they did at Northwestern State.
Program strength since 1911
Best seasons everMost-played series
All rivalries- McNeese
5–25 in 30
- 2017 L 24–44
- 2018 W 37–34
- 2019 L 20–30
- 2020 L 7–21
- 2021 L 17–35
- 2021 W 24–20
- 2023 L 0–1
- 2024 L 3–35
- 2025 L 3–50
- 2026 L 21–24
Lost the last four.
- SE Louisiana
6–21 in 27
- 2018 L 17–24
- 2019 L 27–44
- 2020 L 24–27
- 2021 L 14–51
- 2021 L 28–56
- 2022 L 7–23
- 2023 L 20–37
- 2024 L 0–41
- 2025 L 0–49
- 2026 L 21–52
Lost the last 10.
- Nicholls
9–17 † in 26
- 2016 L 14–31
- 2017 L 10–14
- 2018 L 10–28
- 2019 L 35–45
- 2020 L 24–31
- 2021 L 21–42
- 2022 W 36–33
- 2023 L 0–1
- 2024 L 0–20
- 2025 L 21–26
Lost the last three.
Next: Oct 24
| Opponent | Games | NWST record |
|---|---|---|
| McNeese | 30 | 5–25 |
| SE Louisiana | 27 | 6–21 |
| Nicholls | 26 | 9–17 † |
| Stephen F. Austin | 23 | 11–12 |
| Lamar | 18 | 10–8 |
| Sam Houston | 17 | 5–12 |
| Louisiana | 13 | 5–8 |
| UL Monroe | 13 | 7–6 |
Official records. † Without wins the NCAA vacated. ‡ The rivalry’s own count, where it differs from the games on file. Each series page gives both.
Rivals the program names: Nicholls, SE Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, Stephen F. Austin.
Every opponent (75)
Every program Northwestern State has played, A to Z, with Northwestern State’s record against it. Each links to the series, game by game.
- Abilene Christian 3–2
- Air Force 0–1
- Alcorn State 1–1
- App State 1–0
- Arkansas 0–3
- Arkansas Monticello 2–0
- Arkansas State 3–4
- Baylor 0–5
- Boise State 1–0
- Centenary (LA) 2–7–2
- Central Arkansas 3–9
- Central Michigan 0–2
- Cincinnati 0–3
- Delaware State 2–0
- Delta State 2–0
- East Texas A&M 2–4
- Eastern Illinois 0–2
- Georgia 0–1
- Grambling 2–3
- Henderson State 1–0
- Houston 0–1
- Houston Christian 5–4
- Incarnate Word 3–5
- Jackson State 2–0
- Kansas 0–1
- Kentucky Wesleyan 1–0
- Lamar 10–8
- Langston 1–0
- Louisiana 5–8
- Louisiana Christian 0–1
- Louisiana Tech 2–10
- Louisville 0–1
- LSU 0–12
- McNeese 5–25
- Midwestern State 0–1
- Minnesota 0–1
- Mississippi State 0–3
- Mississippi Valley State 1–0
- Missouri 0–1
- Missouri State 1–1
- Montana 0–2
- Nevada 0–1
- Nicholls 9–17 †
- North Dakota 0–2
- North Dakota State 0–2
- North Texas 0–1
- Northeastern 1–1
- Northern Iowa 0–1
- Oklahoma Panhandle 2–0
- Oklahoma State 0–1
- Ole Miss 0–2
- Prairie View A&M 0–2
- Sam Houston 5–12
- Samford 0–1
- SE Louisiana 6–21
- SMU 0–1
- South Alabama 0–1
- Southeast Missouri State 0–2
- Southern 2–0
- Southern Miss 1–3
- Stephen F. Austin 11–12
- TCU 1–0
- Texas A&M 0–1
- Texas Southern 1–0
- Texas State 5–3
- Texas Tech 0–2
- Texas–Arlington 2–2
- Tulane 0–5
- Tulsa 0–2
- UAB 0–1
- UCF 0–1
- UL Monroe 7–6
- UT Martin 0–2
- UTEP 0–1
- Weber State 0–2
Official records. † Without wins the NCAA vacated, or with forfeits counted. ‡ The rivalry’s own count, where it differs from the games on file.
Conference titles
12, counting shared titles- Gulf Star Conference 1
- 1984 (shared)
- Gulf States Conference 6
- 1953 (shared), 1957 (shared), 1958 (shared), 1962, 1966, 1972
- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association 1
- 1939
As the program counts them in its Wikipedia article, shared titles included, and listed under each conference’s current name (a Western Conference title of the 1900s counts as a Big Ten title); season pages use the name the conference had that year. A title the article files under a conference the team wasn’t in that season is listed under the one it was. Division titles include years the team tied for its division.
Conferences
- Independent 1907–1913
- Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1914–1917 and 1919–1925
- Independent 1926–1927
- Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference 1942 and 1944–1947
- Independent 1971
- Gulf South Conference 1973–1974
- Independent 1975–1983
- Gulf Star Conference 1984–1986
- Southland Conference since 1987
- 1987Joined the Southland Conference from the Gulf Star Conference. Source
Northwestern State’s football conferences by season, from CollegeFootballData.com’s memberships (renamed conferences keep the name of the time). The moves and their announcement dates from Wikipedia’s lists of NCAA Division I conference changes; the year is the first season in the new conference. Conference realignment: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
In the Hall of Fame
Every inductee- Players
- 2
- Coaches
- 0
| 1997 | Joe Delaney RB |
| 1996 | Gary Reasons LB |
In the NFL Draft
By college- Drafted, rounds 1–7
- 28 since 1955
- First-round picks
- 1
| 1988 | John Stephens RB | No. 17, New England Patriots |
The school
Northwestern State University of Louisiana- Enrollment
- 8,523 7,622 undergraduates, fall 2024
- Where
- Natchitoches, Louisiana
- Public or private
- Public
- Founded
- 1884
- Graduates’ median earnings
- $47,021 10 years after starting
Enrollment, place and Carnegie research tier from the National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS, public domain). Earnings from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard (CC BY 4.0): the median for students who received federal aid and were working, not in school. Founding year from Wikidata. Every school’s in the data.
Season by season
National champions| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0–7 | 0–4 | 1029 | ||||
| 2025 | 1–11 | 0–8 | 1012 | ||||
| 2024 | 0–12 | 0–7 | 992 | ||||
| 2023 | 0–11 | 0–7 | 1097 | ||||
| 2022 | 4–7 | 4–2 | 1211 | ||||
| 2021 | 3–8 | 3–5 | 1156 | ||||
| 2020 | 1–5 | 1168 | |||||
| 2019 | 3–9 | 3–6 | 1181 | ||||
| 2018 | 5–6 | 4–5 | 1262 | ||||
| 2017 | 4–7 | 4–5 | 1206 | ||||
| 2016 | 1–10 | 0–9 | 1155 | ||||
| 2015 | 4–6 | 4–4 | 1316 | ||||
| 2014 | 6–6 | 4–4 | 1342 | ||||
| 2013 | 6–6 | 3–4 | 1276 | ||||
| 2012 | 4–7 | 2–5 | 1231 | ||||
| 2011 | 5–6 | 3–4 | 1267 | ||||
| 2010 | 4–6 | 4–3 | 1201 | ||||
| 2009 | 0–11 | 0–7 | 1117 | ||||
| 2008 | 2–1 | 1271 | |||||
| 2007 | 4–7 | 3–4 | 1207 | ||||
| 2006 | 4–7 | 2–4 | 1269 | ||||
| 2005 | 5–5 | 3–3 | 1309 | ||||
| 2004 | 8–4 | 4–1 | 1374 | ||||
| 2003 | 6–6 | 1–4 | 1291 | ||||
| 2002 | 0–1 | 1297 |
Every season back to 1911 (50 more)
| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1–1 | 1305 | |||||
| 2000 | 1–1 | 1288 | |||||
| 1999 | 0–2 | 1275 | |||||
| 1998 | 1–1 | 1301 | |||||
| 1997 | 0–1 | 1293 | |||||
| 1996 | 1–1 | 1317 | |||||
| 1995 | 1–0 | 1318 | |||||
| 1994 | 0–1 | 1301 | |||||
| 1992 | 1–0 | 1334 | |||||
| 1991 | 1–1 | 1321 | |||||
| 1990 | 0–1 | 1289 | |||||
| 1987 | 0–1 | 1307 | |||||
| 1985 | 0–1 | 1328 | |||||
| 1984 | 1–0 | 1358 | |||||
| 1983 | 0–1 | 1308 | |||||
| 1981 | 1–2 | 1318 | |||||
| 1980 | 2–3 | 1287 | |||||
| 1979 | 3–6 | 1228 | -5.7 | ||||
| 1978 | 5–6 | 1245 | -20.1 | ||||
| 1977 | 6–5 | 1296 | 1.9 | ||||
| 1976 | 5–5 | 1205 | -9.5 | ||||
| 1975 | 0–5 | 1076 | |||||
| 1974 | 0–1 | 1120 | |||||
| 1973 | 1–0 | 1133 | |||||
| 1961 | 0–1 | 1098 | |||||
| 1947 | 0–1 | 1100 | |||||
| 1946 | 0–2 | 1107 | |||||
| 1945 | 0–1 | 1119 | |||||
| 1942 | 0–1 | 1132 | |||||
| 1941 | 0–0–1 | 1154 | |||||
| 1940 | 1–1 | 1172 | |||||
| 1939 | 1–0 | 1163 | |||||
| 1938 | 0–1 | 1097 | |||||
| 1937 | 0–1–1 | 1100 | |||||
| 1936 | 0–1 | 1089 | |||||
| 1935 | 0–2 | 1088 | |||||
| 1934 | 0–1 | 1088 | |||||
| 1933 | 0–1 | 1087 | |||||
| 1932 | 0–1 | 1085 | |||||
| 1931 | 0–1 | 1084 | |||||
| 1929 | 0–1 | 1083 | |||||
| 1928 | 0–1 | 1080 | |||||
| 1926 | 0–1 | 1085 | |||||
| 1925 | 0–1 | 1086 | |||||
| 1924 | 0–1 | 1086 | |||||
| 1923 | 0–1 | 1088 | |||||
| 1922 | 0–1 | 1091 | |||||
| 1921 | 0–1 | 1091 | |||||
| 1920 | 0–1 | 1093 | |||||
| 1911few games on file | 0–1 | 1095 |
Officially 632–409–40 since 1907 (per Wikipedia, rechecked weekly); game by game here, 113–244–2 (359 of its 1,081 games are on file). Our file starts in 1911; the program began in 1907. Some games are missing from our source.
No season on file for 1912–19, 1927, 1930, 1943–44, 1948–60, 1962–72, 1982, 1986, 1988–89, 1993: the program may not have played, or our source may be missing them.
Records are computed from every game on file at CollegeFootballData.com, whose coverage of the earliest seasons can be incomplete. Elo is this site’s own rating; see how it works on the records page.