Texas State football and Nicholls State have been dueling since 1980. But the Battle for the Paddle came into existence in 1998, when heavy rains flooded San Marcos and the game was postponed.
During that time, light-hearted jokes about needing a boat and a paddle to watch the teams play ensued, and the game had a name.
Article continues below this ad
TEXAS STATE VS. NICHOLLS STATE
When/where: 7 p.m. in San Marcos.
TV/radio: ESPN+
Texas State has won the past two Battles for the Paddle, but the Paddle Trophy the Bobcats have is a replica. The original wooden oar that was painted maroon and gold on one side and red and silver on the other hasn’t been in San Marcos since 2009. Nicholls State refused to return it after losing to Texas State 38-12 in 2011, citing the Bobcats’ competitive advantage as a Football Bowl Subdivision program.
“We ain’t bringing the damn thing,” former Nicholls State head coach Charlie Stubbs infamously said.
MORE: Texas State football safety Ryan Nolan won’t stop reaching for the next level
Article continues below this ad
But former Nicholls State athletic director Rob Bernardi told the American-Statesman this week that no one at the school has seen the paddle since then, either. Around the time that 2011 game was played, the Paddle simply disappeared.
“It was just outside my office; we used to keep it in there,” said Bernardi, who’s now the deputy athletic director at Louisiana-Monroe. “Honestly, I don’t know where it went.”
The history of the Battle for the Paddle
When both programs competed in the Football Championship Subdivision, the competition was fierce. Neither team ever won more than three matcups in a row, and the 2010 game in San Marcos ended in a thrilling 47-45 Nicholls State victory that saw four overtimes and a game-winning 2-point conversion.
Article continues below this ad
After that win, Bernardi recalled, he saw a few of his players running toward the 50-yard line. They sat down in a line and began mimicking a rowboat, eliciting a chorus of boos from Bobcats fans.
During the Bobcats’ time as an FCS school, the Colonels got the best of them more often than not, winning six of the 11 matchups. Bernardi said there was a slight David and Goliath feel to the rivalry; Texas State was the larger school and theoretically shouldn’t have had trouble with Nicholls State.
The Bobcats break off into groups during Texas State’s football practice at Jim Wacker Field at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
“You see it all the time,” Bernardi said. “For some reason, lesser opponents play really well against particular opponents. I don’t think we beat them in anything else.”
Article continues below this ad
But things changed once Texas State moved up to the FBS. FBS teams hold a significant advantage over FCS programs. They can offer more scholarships, they have larger athletic budgets, better facilities and the ability to land high-end talent.
A growing divide between the schools
The Bobcats can offer up to 110 scholarships thanks to new NCAA rules while the Colonels are limited to 63. Texas State’s enrollment reached 44,596 this fall — Nicholls State announced 5,483 students this past spring.
The hiring of Bobcats coach GJ Kinne has only widened the gap between the two programs. Texas State is now one of the up-and-coming Group of Five teams after years of irrelevance in the 2010s. The Bobcats defeated Baylor in 2023 and have earned two consecutive wins over UTSA. In the past month, Kinne landed Texas State’s first-ever four-star high school recruit.
Article continues below this ad
“I don’t know much,” Kinne said regarding the two programs’ history. “I don’t consider it a rivalry. We’re FBS, they’re FCS.”
It’s not that Nicholls State isn’t a good program. It has started 2025 strong, beating Incarnate Word 20-6 and giving Troy, like Texas State a Sun Belt team, a fight despite losing 38-20.
However, FanDuel posted Friday a 28½-point spread in favor of Texas State. The Bobcats are supposed to win this game, while a Colonels loss wouldn’t mean much for them in the grand scheme of the season.
Unfortunately for long-time followers, the historic stakes from the Battle for the Paddle simply aren’t there anymore. Current Texas State fans are more focused on winning the Sun Belt or the I-35 Rivalry with UTSA.
Article continues below this ad
Bernardi said the original oar may have become a keepsake for a coach or fan who snatched it up when no one was looking. He doesn’t really know. But as the paddle disappeared, the connection and rivalry that tied Texas State and Nicholls State together simultaneously dissipated.
“That silly paddle created a great rivalry and a lot of memories for players and fans,” Bernardi said.