Southland Conference (FCS)
Overview: The 2023 season for the Southland Conference (SLC) was bizarre, to say the least.
Starting on the tragic side of things, the Northwestern State University Demons canceled the remainder of their season due to the shooting death of Ronnie Caldwell on October 12. The cancelation led to the resignation of then-head coach Brad Laird, as well as a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, Laird, and the apartment complex where Caldwell was killed. The Demons finished their abbreviated campaign winless at 0-6 overall.
As a result of this tragedy, the Nicholls Colonels finished SLC action undefeated at 7-0, despite finishing the regular season at 6-5 overall, primarily due to the cancelation of their contest against Northwestern State.
One of those wins came shockingly, as the Colonels pulled off the upset over a then heavily-favored and fourth-ranked UIW squad 45-32 on November 4. That win helped Nicholls clinch the SLC's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, while the Cardinals were snubbed for postseason play despite finishing the regular season at 8-2 overall, and 6-1 in SLC action. Nicholls' season ended in the first round of the playoffs after losing at Southern Illinois, 35-0.
Heading into 2024, the Southland Conference's membership will increase by one member this fall, with the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks returning to the league after spending the last three seasons in the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros will join the Lumberjacks when that Texas-based institution starts its inaugural season in 2025, bringing the SLC's total number of football programs to 10 by then.
In the meantime, however, Nicholls will look to defend its SLC crown this year, while UIW hopes to bounce back after being left out of the FCS playoff field last fall.
2024 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to find the schedules)
NOTE: If a team's schedule is unavailable, it must submit its schedule for the 2024 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.
Final 2023 Southland Conference Football Standings
Houston Christian
*-Ineligible for the conference title, transitioning from the NCAA Division II level.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
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