McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. McNeese is part of the University of Louisiana System and is classified as a Master's University. The selective admissions university consists of six colleges and the Doré School of Graduate Studies. McNeese is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and all programs of study are accredited by their respective national boards.
The Northwestern State University athletic teams go by the Demons, with women's athletic teams generally called the Lady Demons, and its mascot is Vic the Demon. Once a member of the SIAA conference, the school now competes in the Southland Conference.
The McNeese Cowboys football program is the intercollegiate American football team for McNeese State University located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southland Conference. McNeese's first football team was fielded in 1940. The team plays its home games at the 17,410 seat Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The McNeese Cowboys basketball team represents McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Southland Conference.
The McNeese Cowgirls softball team represents McNeese State University, located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Cowgirls are a member of the Southland Conference and participate in NCAA Division I college softball. The team is currently led by head coach James Landreneau and play their home games at Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond.
The Southeastern Louisiana Lions and Lady Lions are composed of 14 teams representing Southeastern Louisiana University in intercollegiate athletics, competing in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southland Conference.
The 2013–14 McNeese State Cowgirls basketball team represented McNeese State University during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Cowgirls were led by seventh year head coach Brooks Donald-Williams, played their home games at Burton Coliseum, with three home games at Sudduth Coliseum. They are members of the Southland Conference. At the conclusion of the 2014 Southland Conference women's basketball tournament the Cowgirls received an invitation to compete in the 2014 Women's Basketball Invitational tournament.
The 2014–15 McNeese State Cowboys basketball team represented McNeese State University during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys were led by eighth year head coach Dave Simmons and played their home games at Burton Coliseum, with three home games at Sudduth Coliseum in the Lake Charles Civic Center complex. The Cowboys are members of the Southland Conference.
The 2014–15 McNeese State Cowgirls basketball team represented McNeese State University during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Cowgirls, led by eighth year head coach Brooks Donald-Williams, played all their home games at Burton Coliseum. They are members of the Southland Conference. The team completed the 2014–15 season with an 18–14 overall record and an 11–7 Southland Conference record. The Cowgirls, seeded fifth in the 2015 Southland Conference Tournament, fell to eighth seed Houston Baptist 68–70 in the first round of the Southland Conference tournament. They received an invitation to the 2015 Women's Basketball Invitational tournament. In first round play, the Cowgirls defeated the Furman Paladins. The 2014–15 season ended when the team fell to the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns in the second round of the tournament.
Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond is the home stadium for the Division I (NCAA) McNeese State Cowgirls softball team. Located on the campus of McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the stadium has a 1,200 seating capacity. Seating consists of partially covered bleacher seating. The stadium has field lighting, bullpens, dugouts, and a press box. An indoor training facility, the "H.I.T" or House of Indoor Training, located outside the right field fence, allows hitting practice in all weather conditions. A Daktronics electronic scoreboard includes a message board. The initial home game was played on March 14, 2003, against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles softball team.
The 2016–17 McNeese State Cowboys basketball team represented McNeese State University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys were led by 11th-year head coach Dave Simmons and played their home games at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, Louisiana as members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 7–22, 4–14 in Southland play to finish in last place. They failed to qualify for the Southland tournament.
The 2017–18 McNeese State Cowboys basketball team represented McNeese State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys were led by 12th-year head coach Dave Simmons and played their home games at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, Louisiana as members of the Southland Conference. The Cowboys finished the season 11–17, 8–10 in Southland play to finish in a three-way tie for eighth place. They failed to qualify for the Southland tournament.
Erika Piancastelli is an Italian-American professional softball catcher. She plays international softball for Italy and competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Born in Italy, Piancastelli eventually went to play college softball at McNeese State, where she holds multiple career records.
The 2018–19 McNeese State Cowboys basketball team represented McNeese State University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys were led by 1st-year head coach Heath Schroyer and played their home games at the new on-campus Health and Human Performance Education Complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana as members of the Southland Conference.
The 2019–20 McNeese State Cowboys basketball team represented McNeese State University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys, led by second-year head coach Heath Schroyer, played their home games at the Health and Human Performance Education Complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana as members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 15–17, 10–10 in Southland play to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place. They lost in the first round of the Southland tournament to Lamar.
The 2020 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented the McNeese State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Cowboys played their home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana and competed in the Southland Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Frank Wilson.
The 2022 McNeese Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by head coach Gary Goff, who was coaching his first season with the program. The Cowboys played their home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2022–23 McNeese Cowboys basketball team represented McNeese State University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cowboys, led by second-year head coach John Aiken, played their home games on-campus at The Legacy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana as members of the Southland Conference.
The 2022–23 McNeese Cowgirls basketball team represents McNeese State University during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Cowgirls, led by second year head coach Lynn Kennedy, play their home games at The Legacy Center located on the McNeese State University campus in Lake Charles, Louisiana. They are members of the Southland Conference.
The 2023 McNeese Cowboys football team will represent McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They are led by second-year head coach Gary Goff. The Cowboys will play their home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
