JOURNAL SPORTS

NATCHITOCHES — Northwestern State’s football team will play six games at Turpin Stadium in 2026, including a season-opening Thursday night, Aug. 27 contest renewing a long dormant series with nearby Louisiana Christian (formerly Louisiana College), and third-year coach Blaine McCorkle’s Demons will visit NSU’s oldest rival, Louisiana Tech in Week 2.

The 12-game schedule was announced on Tuesday as part of a Southland Conference-wide schedule release for the 2026 season.

“Thursday night openers are always fun because the students are here and you get a good crowd. We opened up against Alcorn on Thursday night last year and it was a great atmosphere so we are excited to do that again,” said McCorkle.

The game with the Wildcats is the first between the two programs since 1968. LC dropped football a year later, and resumed it two decades ago. Located in Pineville, Louisiana Christian plays at the NAIA Division I level and has visited Southland members McNeese and Houston Christian in season-openers in the past two years.

“I can see LC bringing a lot of people up and they’re a good football team,” said McCorkle. “I give Coach (Ben) McLaughlin a lot of credit. They’ve won their conference two of the last three years, and they do a lot of good things. There’s no doubt their players will be excited to come in here and play.”

Northwestern renews another regional rivalry the following week when it travels to Louisiana Tech on Sept. 5. The first meeting with the Bulldogs since 2023 begins a stretch of three straight September road games for the second straight season. 

Sandwiched between the trip to Ruston and a program-first trip to Utah to close a home-and-home agreement with Weber State (Sept. 19), the Demons travel to East Texas A&M (Sept. 12) for the first of nine SLC games on the schedule.

After four straight seasons with multiple FBS opponents on their non-conference schedule, the Demons face just one in 2026.

“Excited about the regional rivalry with Tech. We have a history of playing a lot over the years,” McCorkle said. “I know our kids will be really excited to go up there and play against people that they know. There’s a lot of crossover on our rosters with high school teammates or guys you played against when you’re that close in proximity. 

“Then after a week of conference play against East Texas A&M, back on the road to Weber State, who came in here two years ago and handled us pretty good. They have been a perennial FCS power. So, three non-conference games this year and we definitely have our work cut out for us. They should set us up pretty good going into conference play to know where we are.”

With two Louisiana-based teams in the non-conference, the Demons face five total in-state opponents on the year, including the first home conference game against Southeastern on Sept. 26. It signals a stretch of three of four and five of seven games inside Turpin Stadium. 

McNeese (Oct. 17) and Nicholls (Oct. 24) also visit Natchitoches in 2026, marking the first time since 1978 the Demons host the Colonels, Cowboys and Lions in the same season and the first time with all being Southland Conference opponents.

The last time NSU played five games against in-state teams in the same season was 2017. 

After consecutive home games in mid-October, the Demons close their home slate with consecutive home games in early November, hosting UTRGV (Nov. 7) in the first football meeting between the two schools in history, and HCU (Nov. 14).

“Six home games is a big deal,” McCorkle said. “It’s been a while since we’ve had six home games. And then Louisiana Tech is right up the road. So really, you have within proximity, seven right here in our backyard where all our fans all be able to see us play. 

It is the first time since 2013 the Demons have six home games during a season.

NSU closes the season with a Thursday night rivalry game against Stephen F. Austin, this time in Nacogdoches.

Kickoff times and the homecoming date will be set later, officials said.

2026 NSU Demons football schedule

*indicates Southland Conference games