THIBODAUX, La. - The Southland Conference announced Tuesday its 2025-26 women's basketball league schedule, which features a 22-game slate for the Nicholls State University women's basketball team.
 
Nicholls will play a home-and-home with all 11 teams. The Red & Gray will open league play at home against UIW (Dec. 16) and HCU (Dec. 18) before ending the year on the road against Texas A&M- Corpus Christi (Dec. 29) and UTRGV (Dec. 31).
 
The Colonels return home and open the new year against Northwestern State (Jan. 3) followed by close road contests at McNeese (Jan. 8) and UNO (Jan. 10). Next, the unit will host SFA (Jan. 15), Lamar (Jan. 17), and UNO (Jan. 22) before hitting the road for three consecutive contests against Southeastern (Jan. 24), Northwestern State (Jan. 29), and East Texas A&M (Jan. 31).
 
The Red & Gray will open February with a pair of home games against UTRGV (Feb. 5) and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi (Feb. 7). The Colonels will spend two weeks across state lines to play four consecutive road contests before wrapping up the season with home games against McNeese, Southeastern, and East Texas A&M.
 
Last season, Nicholls finished head coach Justin Payne's second season with a 17-14 overall record. The 17 wins were the most for the program since 2018-19, which was Payne's last season as an assistant for the Colonels. Paired with last year's opening-round win, Nicholls also claimed a postseason victory in consecutive years and tournament appearances for the first time in school history.
 
The 2026 Southland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament will be hosted by McNeese in Lake Charles, starting on March 9.