John L. Guidry Stadium has been home to the Colonels football team since the school began playing the sport on the intercollegiate level in 1972. The facility is named in honor of former Galliano state representative John L. Guidry who was instrumental in the establishment of Francis T. Nicholls Junior College.
The stadium features a three-level press box on the west side. The first level houses an area for game management staff, radio and coaches’ booths and a working press area that was established following a renovation project that was completed prior to the 1999 season. The president’s suite and a 30-seat club level, which were also part of the 1999 press box renovation, make up the second level, while a video and photo deck is located on the roof.
In 2012, the west entrance of the stadium was given a facelift which included a new elevator shaft with an ever-present illuminated Nicholls “N”, a glass-cased elevator and a Hall of Fame decorated lobby area.
Before the 2017 campaign, Manning Field received a makeover with the installation of a brand new GeoGreen™ artificial turf by Geo-Surfaces of Baton Rouge. In addition to the new playing surface, an 18-by-32 foot full-color LED Nevco Video Scoreboard was placed at the north end zone, along with an enhanced sound system.
Adjacent to the elevator landing at ground level is the Century Club Room. Members use the building as a hospitality area before home games as well as for various university functions throughout the year.
Guidry Stadium is located adjacent to the Frank Barker Athletic Building, which houses the Nicholls football coaches’ offices, locker rooms, the athletic training department, and athletic staff. The Nicholls strength and conditioning facility is located directly behind Barker Hall.
The stadium was officially dedicated on September 16, 1972, as Nicholls defeated Ouachita Baptist 12-7. Hermon Grissom drilled a 37-yard field goal in the opening period for the first score in the stadium. Chris “Gator” Gardner caught a 27-yard pass from Lonnie Rogers for the first Colonel touchdown in the stadium as Nicholls came from behind to win. The facility was originally referred to as Colonel Stadium but was renamed in Guidry’s honor Sept. 15, 1973.
In 53 seasons, the Colonels have compiled a 143-128-3 record in Guidry Stadium. In 2017, Nicholls hosted the program’s first-ever home FCS playoff game, taking on South Dakota in the opening round. Nicholls then went undefeated at home in 2018, posting a perfect 6-0 record that was capped with a playoff win over San Diego.
In 1975, Nicholls captured the Gulf South Conference championship with an 8-2 record, including a 5-0 mark at home. It was the first time Nicholls had gone undefeated at home until 2005 when the Red and Gray went 4-0 at Guidry Stadium en route to claiming their first Southland Conference Championship. The unblemished campaign in Thibodaux last season led to another Southland title and the six home wins were the most in program history.
Guidry Stadium was originally constructed at a cost of nearly $2 million.
