| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| First meeting | October 4, 1980 Nicholls State, 24–21 |
| Latest meeting | September 20, 2025 Texas State, 35–3 |
| Trophy | Paddle Trophy |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 32 |
| All-time series | Texas State leads, 17–15 |
| Largest victory | Nicholls State, 63–37 (1993) |
| Longest win streak | 3 games, three times by Nicholls, and three times by Texas State |
| Current win streak | Texas State, 3 (2011–present) |
The Battle for the Paddle is an American college football rivalry game played between the Texas State Bobcats and the Nicholls Colonels. The rivalry began between the two schools as an in-conference rivalry, first in the Gulf Star Conference and then the Southland Conference. The name for the rivalry originated as a result of a game postponement during the 1998 season. 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. [2]
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Nicholls head coach and offensive guru Charlie Stubbs brought controversy to 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, stating "we ain't bringing the damn thing." [3] Texas State won the Battle for the Paddle 38–12. [4] Since Texas State's ascension to the FBS, the teams do not meet as frequently. The two teams met in 2019, with Texas State winning 24–3. Their last meeting was on Sep. 20, 2025 in San Marcos. The Bobcats won that matchup 35–3. [5]
Texas State leads the overall series, 17–15.