Who, where is Nicholls State?

Fans of Eastern Washington University football know at least a few things about their opponents in the regular season.

But when it comes to playoffs where sometimes schools are shipped across multiple time zones to experience “The Red,” the who, what, where and how might be a little more vague.

Nicholls State University was originally established Sept. 23, 1948 as Francis T. Nicholls Junior College. Located in Thibodaux, La. (population 14,567 – 2010), west of New Orleans and south of the state capital, Baton Rouge. The university is named for Francis T. Nicholls, a former governor of Louisiana and member of the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Graduates of the school have been most noted for moving into politics both in Louisiana and in Congress. Alum Billy Tauzin was a longtime member of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1980 to 2005.

Recent numbers show the undergrad population at just over 5,700 and total enrollment at nearly 6,400 students.

Notable among a number of athletes who wore the red and grey of the Colonels is Antonio Robinson who earned a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers in 2011.