Nicholls football announces 2018 game schedule

The Nicholls State University football program revealed Thursday its 2018 game schedule, highlighted by five home games and the program’s first-ever meeting with the Tulane Green Wave.
The Colonels will make their home debut in Week 4 as they host FCS playoff semifinalist Sam Houston State Sept. 22.
Family Day is slated for the next weekend (Sept. 29) with the matchup against Lamar.
After two weeks on the road, the Homecoming Game against UIW will be Oct. 27.
The final two games of the year will be at home against Stephen F. Austin (Nov. 10) and on Thursday night versus Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 15).
The Colonels start the season at Big XII Kansas Sept. 1. It marks the first meeting with the Jayhawks and first against a Big XII program since the 2006 game at Nebraska.
The following Saturday, Nicholls heads to Yulman Stadium in New Orleans to take on Tulane. Despite being separated by only 60 miles, the schools never have met on the gridiron. The Green Wave finished 5-7 last season in former Sam Houston State coach Willie Fritz’ second year.
McNeese will serve as the Colonels’ conference opener for the second-straight season, but the Colonels will head to Lake Charles this year on Sept. 15.
In last season’s matchup in Thibodaux, Nicholls won 37-35 on a last-second field goal.
Nicholls will have back-to-back road games at Northwestern State (Oct. 6) and Abilene Christian (Oct. 13). The Colonels played ACU for the first time last season, and 2018 will be the first-ever trip to Abilene, Texas.
The final road game is scheduled for Nov. 3 at HBU.
Nicholls is coming off a historic season, which included the program’s first-ever home FCS playoff game. The Colonels finished with an 8-4 record and had their most wins (7) in the Southland Conference in team history.
The Colonels graduated only 16 seniors from the 2017 FCS playoff team, which was ranked as high as No. 17. All 10 All-Southland honorees were juniors and sophomores.