Nicholls State University Football
Nicholls State University fields a football team in the Southland Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 131 players, above the median of 119, with 1 head coach and 9 assistants. Team expenses were $3,406,656, well below the median of $9.1M — $26,005 per roster spot, bottom quarter of Division I football programs. Under the Division I roster cap of 105 in force from 2025-26, that is 26 over — cuts or attrition are likely, though players already on the roster may stay (230 of 261 Division I programs carried more than the cap). The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 945, about the median of 964, with 97% of players retained year to year. The school gave $2,031,361 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $7,254 per roster spot.
Among Division I football programs
Where this program sits against its 261 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
Team budgets across the division
Roster sizes (cap 105)
The program
- Roster131 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap105 26 over last season
- Coaching staff1 head, 9 assistant
- Team expenses$3,406,656 for the year
- Operating expenses$670,945 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$26,005 division median $79,762
- Academic Progress Rate945 multi-year; 920 latest
- Players retained97% year to year
- Eligible92% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$2,031,361 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$7,254 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$71,620 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Rybacki head coach | Head Coach | not on file |
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youSeptember 1 of junior year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school football players1,029,588 2024-25
- Division I roster spots31,184 261 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 33 3.0% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the football recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →- Setting
- City
- Type
- Public · Master's university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →- Test scores
- Scores required
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 53%
Football
Full picture →- Team expenses
- $3,406,656 $26,005 per roster spot · bottom quarter of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 9 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $2,031,361
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $71,620
Cost
Full picture →- Tuition & fees
- $8,173 in-state · $9,266 out
Campus safety
Full picture →- In residence halls
- 3 burglaries · 1 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 0 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →Research Nicholls State University
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Football programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulane University Division I · American Conference | 42 | 125 | $23M | 958 | 15% | |
| Louisiana State University Division I · Southeastern Conference | 48 | 115 | $51M | 952 | 74% | |
| Southeastern Louisiana University Division I · Southland Conference | 54 | 130 | $4.3M | 942 | 94% | |
| Southern University, Baton Rouge Division I · Southwestern Athletic Conf. | 56 | 122 | $3.2M | 952 | 50% | |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette Division I · Sun Belt Conference | 78 | 142 | $15M | 956 | 89% | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi Division I · Sun Belt Conference | 137 | 113 | $11M | 945 | 99% | |
| Alcorn State University Division I · Southwestern Athletic Conf. | 145 | 118 | $4M | 963 | 25% | |
| McNeese State University Division I · Southland Conference | 147 | 117 | $5.3M | 919 | 68% |
Other football programs in the Southland Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of the Incarnate Word 46 over cap | 151 | $6.9M | $45,399 | 938 | vs | |
| Houston Christian University 14 over cap | 119 | $5.9M | $49,269 | 964 | vs | |
| Lamar University 14 over cap | 119 | $5.6M | $47,424 | 939 | vs | |
| Stephen F. Austin State University 35 over cap | 140 | $5.5M | $39,390 | 894 | vs | |
| McNeese State University 12 over cap | 117 | $5.3M | $44,962 | 919 | vs | |
| East Texas A&M University 20 over cap | 125 | $5.2M | $41,876 | — | vs | |
| Southeastern Louisiana University 25 over cap | 130 | $4.3M | $33,443 | 942 | vs | |
| Nicholls State University 26 over cap | 131 | $3.4M | $26,005 | 945 | vs | |
| Northwestern State University 12 over cap | 117 | $3.2M | $27,132 | 961 | vs | |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | — | — | — | — | vs |
Every Southland Conference football program · Football budgets ranked