Home Sports College football: NSU announces 2025 schedule

College football: NSU announces 2025 schedule

by Russell Hedges

By Jason Pugh, Northwestern State Associate Athletic Director for External Relations

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State will open a fall football season at home for the first time in a decade when the Demons start the 2025 campaign against Alcorn inside Turpin Stadium on Aug. 28.

That game and 11 others were announced Tuesday as part of a Southland Conference-wide schedule release for the 2025 season.

“We are very excited that we were able to secure the home opener on a Thursday night,” said coach Blaine McCorkle, who begins his second season with the Demons. “I think it will allow for a great crowd and atmosphere. I know Alcorn always travels well, our students will be here and — with it being a Thursday night — have no excuse to miss it. It also gives us two extra days to rest up, prepare for the next opponent and lets our staff go see some great high school football on Friday.”

Northwestern’s 12-game schedule features five home games – four of which come in Southland play. The opener against Alcorn is the lone non-conference home game for the Demons, who embark on a three-game road trip following the opening matchup with the Braves.

Included in the three-game swing is a Sept. 6 contest at Minnesota, which stands as the first Big Ten opponent in program history, and a Sept. 13 trip to Big 12 member Cincinnati.

The Demons’ longest road trip of the season concludes Sept. 20 at Prairie View A&M.

“Last year there was much talk about how difficult our non-conference schedule was,” McCorkle said. “This year it is even tougher as we get the opportunity to compete against two Power 4 opponents. Those are always great experiences for you players while also being very challenging physically. We will return from those to get on a bus and play what we know will be a very tough Prairie View game so we will have to be wise in our approach as a staff. These games are tough indeed but will give us some great work as we head into conference play.” 

Northwestern opens Southland Conference play after a bye week, hosting East Texas A&M on Oct. 4 to start the eight-game conference slate.

The Demons’ other three conference home games come Oct. 25 against Lamar, Nov. 8 against UIW and the Nov. 20 regular-season finale against Stephen F. Austin.

Northwestern will make Southland road trips to Houston Christian (Oct. 11), Southeastern Louisiana (Oct. 18), McNeese (Nov. 1) and Nicholls (Nov. 15). Three of those trips – at HCU, Southeastern and Nicholls – are on the docket for the second straight season.

Two of the Demons’ home conference games also bring repeat opponents – East Texas A&M and Lamar — to Turpin Stadium.

“I’m really excited about the order and format of the SLC schedule and love the fact the game against the team in Nacogdoches is now the season finale on a Thursday night,” McCorkle said. “I think that’s a great move. All this is very exciting to talk about now, but there is a ton of work to do between now and the season and getting better every day is our main focus.”

2025 Northwestern State football schedule

Date     Opponent         Location

Aug. 28 Alcorn  Turpin Stadium

Sept. 6 Minnesota         Minneapolis

Sept. 13               Cincinnati          Cincinnati

Sept. 20               Prairie View A&M            Prairie View, Texas

Oct. 4   *East Texas A&M (Homecoming)           Turpin Stadium

Oct. 11 *Houston Christian       Houston

Oct. 18 *Southeastern Louisiana           Hammond

Oct. 25 *Lamar Turpin Stadium

Nov. 1   *McNeese         Lake Charles

Nov. 8   *UIW     Turpin Stadium

Nov. 15                *Nicholls            Thibodaux

Nov. 20                *Stephen F. Austin         Turpin Stadium

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