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 McNeese Cowboys and Cowgirls are composed of 14 teams representing McNeese State University in intercollegiate athletics, including men's and women's basketball, cross country, golf, and track and field. Men's sports include baseball and football. Women's sports include volleyball, tennis, soccer, and softball. The Cowboys and Cowgirls compete in NCAA Division I, with Cowboys football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and are members of the Southland Conference.
The Lamar Cardinals and Lady Cardinals refers to the college athletics teams of Lamar University, in Beaumont, Texas. The Cardinals and Lady Cardinals teams compete in seventeen NCAA Division I sports as a member of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals rejoined the Southland after spending the 2021–22 athletic year in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Jacksonville State University (JSU) located in the U.S. state of Alabama. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Jacksonville State's first football team was fielded in 1904. The team plays its home games at the 24,000-seat Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.
The Northwestern State Demons football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Northwestern State University located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Southland Conference. Northwestern State's first football team was fielded in 1907. The team plays its home games at the 15,971 seat Harry Turpin Stadium in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
The Sam Houston Bearkats football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Sam Houston State University located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Sam Houston's first football team was fielded in 1912. The team plays its home games at the 12,593-seat Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas. On January 23, 2014, K. C. Keeler was named the 15th head coach in Sam Houston program history.
The Lamar Cardinals football program represents Lamar University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. The Cardinals are members of the Southland Conference and play their home games in the 16,000 seat Provost Umphrey Stadium. The Cardinals left the Southland Conference in July 2021 to join the Western Athletic Conference, which relaunched its football league at the FCS level during the 2021 season. After one season in the WAC, Lamar and the Southland Conference announced on July 11, 2022 Lamar's accelerated return to the Southland Conference effective immediately.
The 2011 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Matt Viator, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The Battle of the Border is the name of the athletics rivalry between the Cardinals and Lady Cardinals of Lamar University and Cowboys and Cowgirls of McNeese State University. Originally in football, the rivalry now covers all sports. In 2009, the rivalry was expanded to include "...head-to-head and SLC [Southland Conference] Championship competition in 14 different sports...". The competition is a joint agreement with the two universities and sponsor, Verizon Wireless
The 2010 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Matt Viator, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–2 in conference play, placing second in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2013 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Matt Viator, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, placing second in the Southland. McNeese State received an at-large bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first-round bye, the Cowboys lost in the second round to Jacksonville State. The team played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2014 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Matt Viator, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 4–4 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for sixth in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2015 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Matt Viator in his tenth and final season as head coach, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 10–1 with a mark of 9–0 in conference play, winning the Southland title. McNeese State received the conference's automatic bid to NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first-round bye, the Cowboys lost in the second round to fellow Southland member, Sam Houston State. The team played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2016 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Lance Guidry, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–4 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2018 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Lance Guidry in his third and final season as head caoach, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 6–5 with a mark of 5–4 in conference play, placing in four-way tie for fourth in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2002 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Football League during the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Tommy Tate, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 13–2 with a mark of 6–0 in conference play, winning the Southland title. McNeese State advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, beating Montana State in the first round, Montana in the quarterfinals, and Villanova in the semifinals, before losing to Western Kentucky in the NCAA Division I-AA Championship Game. The team played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2019 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Sterlin Gilbert in his first and only season as head coach, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 5–4 in conference play, placing fifth in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2020 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Frank Wilson, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 3–4 with a mark of 2–4 in conference play, tying for fifth place in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2021 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by Frank Wilson in his second and final season as head coach, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The 2022 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Gary Goff, the Cowboys compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 2–4 in conference play, placing sixth in the Southland. McNeese State played home games at Cowboy Stadium in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
