THIBODAUX, La. - After starting the season unranked, the Nicholls State University football team took the No. 22 spot in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll released on Monday.

Nicholls (1-1) began last year in the Top 25 but fell out of the rankings after dropping its first three games. This season, the Colonels knocked off No. 5 UIW by two touchdowns in Week 0 before putting up a competitive showing at FBS Troy on Saturday. Nicholls led 20-17 in the fourth quarter before the Trojans ended the night with three unanswered touchdowns.

The Colonels are one of three teams to jump into the Top 25 after being unranked to start the season, but are the lone squad to do so after not receiving any votes in the preseason poll. 

Two other teams from the Southland joined Nicholls in the Top 25 poll. UIW dropped to No. 12 following the loss to the Colonels and a win over Eastern Washington, while SFA fell two spots to No. 25 following their loss to FBS Houston. Southeastern is no longer receiving votes after a loss to FBS Louisiana Tech.

The Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll is released each Monday during the regular season and one day after the FCS championship game (to be played Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tennessee). A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.

UP NEXT
Nicholls will play at home for the last time until late October, hosting West Georgia on Saturday, Sept. 6. Kickoff at John L. Guidry Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tickets are available online by clicking here.