Homecoming is a longstanding tradition at Nicholls State University. This year’s homecoming football game against Abilene Christian University will take place on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 3 p.m. 

The king and queen will be announced and crowned at halftime.

Nicholls’ first homecoming king and queen were crowned in 1964. A queen has been crowned every year since then, but a king has not. From 1968-1972 and from 1974-1979, Nicholls only crowned a queen, not a king. Crowning a king did not become standard at Nicholls until 1988.

 In the initial years of Nicholls’ homecoming court, homecoming maids were escorted by NSU Club Athletes, which started in 1969. Some years, escorts were not even used. 

Nicholls’ modern homecoming court includes seven men and women. These individuals were chosen to be on homecoming court after going through a multi-step process. First, individuals get nominated to be on the court from peers and/or organizations.

Individuals can also nominate themselves to be on the court. Next, nominees must fill out an application. Then, nominees must go through an interview process. 

The interview committee is made up of twelve people (which includes six students): representatives from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Student Government Association (SGA), Student Programming Association (SPA), Student Educators and Leaders (SEALS), the previous homecoming king and queen, two faculty members, two staff members and two alumni. 

This committee then chooses seven men and women to be a part of the homecoming court. Next, students vote online for a king and queen. The results of this vote are announced at halftime during the homecoming football game.

“To the university, it’s a great honor to have so many students who give so much to the university. [Homecoming court] is a great way for us to honor them,” Katherine Mabile, director of alumni affairs and chair of the homecoming committee said. 

Homecoming court members get to participate in all of the homecoming activities that are held throughout homecoming week. Additionally, they are honored and presented at the homecoming football game.

“[Being on homecoming court means] getting another chance to show how much I love Nicholls and how much this school has done for me personally…It’s a great feeling to know that we get to walk down the football field with all our family and friends watching us and cheering us on,” Daedra Howard, junior birth-to-five education major from Gretna said. 

Howard, along will fellow homecoming court member Tabitha Tabb, a junior secondary mathematics education major from Montz, said they are most looking forward to the pirogue races.

“I am most excited for the pirogue races because for the first time ever, we are going to have an alumni barbecue in Elkins Circle right after the winners of the pirogue races are announced. This will bring current Nicholls students and Nicholls alumni together to celebrate the homecoming football game. There is nothing more special than to witness the people from past and present coming together to celebrate what is coming up in the future of Nicholls,” said Tabb.

Nicholls is hosting many events this week to celebrate homecoming. Eight of these events are a brand-new part of homecoming week. 

“I look forward to attending all of the homecoming events with the entire court and displaying my Colonel pride,” Amari Williams, senior psychology major from New Orleans said. 

On Sunday, Nicholls held a Women’s Athletic Brunch in support of Nicholls State University women’s athletics. Nicholls also held its first Red-Out Run 5k and Fun Run, where the homecoming court held the race banner.

On Monday, SPA’s annual homecoming breakfast and dance is taking place from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in the Vernon F. Galliano Dining Hall and Cotillion Ballroom. This event is free and open to all students with a Colonel Card.

The full homecoming week event schedule can be found at https://www.nicholls.edu/homecoming/events/.