1972 Nicholls State Colonels football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1972
| team = Nicholls State Colonels
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Gulf South Conference
| short_conf = GSC
| record = 3–8
| conf_record = 1–5
| head_coach = Gary Kinchen
| hc_year = 1st
| off_coach =
| oc_year =
| off_scheme =
| def_coach =
| dc_year =
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Colonel Stadium
| prev_year = none
}}
{{1972 Gulf South Conference football standings}}
The 1972 Nicholls State Colonels football team represented Nicholls State University as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. Led by first-year head coach Gary Kinchen, the Colonels compiled an overall record of 3–8 with a mark of 1–5 in conference play, tying for seventh place in the GSC. Nicholls State played home games at Colonel Stadium in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 9
| time =
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Jacksonville State
| site_stadium = Paul Snow Stadium
| site_cityst = Jacksonville, AL
| score = 0–31
| attend = 6,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113736729/nicholls-bombed/|work=Daily World|title=Nicholls bombed|date=September 10, 1972|accessdate=November 27, 2022|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 16
| time =
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1972|team=Ouachita Baptist Tigers football|title=Ouachita Baptist}}
| site_stadium = John L. Guidry Stadium
| site_cityst = Thibodaux, LA
| score = 12–7
| attend = 6,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 23
| time =
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1972|team=Slippery Rock|title=Slippery Rock}}
| site_stadium = John L. Guidry Stadium
| site_cityst = Thibodaux, LA
| score = 18–14
| attend = 6,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 30
| time =
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1972|team=Southeastern Louisiana Lions|title=Southeastern Louisiana}}
| site_stadium = Strawberry Stadium
| site_cityst = Hammond, LA
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 9–31
| attend = 8,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| time =
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Northeast Louisiana
| site_stadium = John L. Guidry Stadium
| site_cityst = Thibodaux, LA
| score = 7–27
| attend = 7,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68686482/northeast-is-victor-over-nicholls-state/|work=The Daily Advertiser|title=Northeast is victor over Nicholls State|date=October 8, 1972|accessdate=January 27, 2021|page=55|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 14
| time =
| w/l = l
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1972|team=Mississippi College Choctaws|title=Mississippi College}}
| site_stadium = John L. Guidry Stadium
| site_cityst = Thibodaux, LA
| score = 13–42
| attend = 7,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 21
| time =
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = McNeese State
| site_stadium = John L. Guidry Stadium
| site_cityst = Thibodaux, LA
| score = 7–24
| attend = 7,600
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120083338/mcneese-state-whips-nicholls/|work=The Daily Advertiser|title=McNeese State whips Nicholls|date=October 22, 1972|accessdate=March 3, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 28
| time =
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1972|team=Tennessee–Martin Pacers|title=Tennessee–Martin}}
| site_stadium = Graham Stadium
| site_cityst = Martin, TN
| tv =
| score = 18–15
| attend = 2,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| time =
| w/l = l
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1972|team=Livingston Tigers|title=Livingston}}
| site_stadium = John L. Guidry Stadium
| site_cityst = Thibodaux, LA
| score = 0–26
| attend = 5,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| time =
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Lamar
| site_stadium = Provost Umphrey Stadium
| site_cityst = Beaumont, TX
| score = 15–22
| attend = 8,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/corpus-christi-caller-times-lamar-wins-h/170072034/|work=The Corpus Christi Caller-Times|title=Lamar wins homecoming|date=November 12, 1972|accessdate=April 11, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 18
| time =
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1972|team=Delta State Statesmen|title=Delta State}}
| site_stadium = McCool Stadium
| site_cityst = Cleveland, MS
| score = 0–42
| attend = 200
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1972 Cumulative Football Statistics Report (Nicholls State) |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/483/stats/13168 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=November 18, 2022 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.geauxcolonels.com/documents/2017/7/20/2017_FOOTBALL_MEDIA_GUIDE_Final.pdf|title=Nicholls State University Athletics - 1972 Football Schedule|publisher=Nicholls State University Department of Athletics|page=62|accessdate=October 12, 2017}}