Cowboy Football

McNeese closed out the 2025 football season Nov. 22 with a 21–19 win over the Lamar Cardinals, postseason honors, and the Southland Conference’s No. 1 signing class. 

In the latest chapter of The Battle of the Border, Lamar scored first with wide receiver Izaha Jones catching a 7-yard pass from quarterback Aiden McCown for a touchdown. 

McNeese answered in the second quarter when quarterback Devin Lippold capped a 51-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run. With the extra point, the score was tied 7–7 at halftime.  

In the fourth quarter, Lippold threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to receiver Reed Boyd to give McNeese a 14–13 lead. On Lamar’s next possession, McNeese’s defender Phillip Bradford intercepted a pass from McCown and returned 21 yards for a pick-6, pushing the lead to 21–13. 

Lamar responded with a 9-yard touchdown run by LaDamian McDowell, cutting McNeese’s lead to 21–19. 

McNeese finished the season with 4–4 in Southland Conference play and 5–7 overall. This season marks the program’s first .500 league finish since 2019. The Cowboys also averaged 23.5 points on offense and ranked 4th in the conference in total yards (4,552). 

“I’m really proud of our players,” Head Coach Matt Viator said. “Those are games that I think as a coach you remember and certainly you know you want to win the conference championship which you know I’ve been part of a lot of those and some of those for sure.” 

Following the game, Bradford was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the week. Running back Coleby Hamm and punter Fabrizio Pinton received honorable mention weekly honors.  

On Nov. 25, Bradford, Pinton, and offensive lineman William Bressi were named to the 2025 All-Southland Conference Football First Team while offensive lineman Cody Brackeen earned Second Team honors. 

On Wednesday, McNeese announced the signing of 17 players during the early signing period, a recruiting class ranked No. 1 in the Southland Conference. The class brings in reinforcements on both the offensive and defensive line, while reloading the secondary with two new safeties and two cornerbacks. The Cowboys also added a new quarterback, tight end, wide receiver, and a running back to give the offense some new talent to develop.  

The transfer portal opens Jan. 2. 

Cowgirl Basketball

The Cowgirls faced off against two ranked teams in the Bahamas before returning to the United States to battle against Utah Tech. 

The Cowgirls lost 83-63 in a matchup vs No. 22-ranked West Virginia Nov.24. The Cowgirls kept it interesting in the first quarter, making a mini comeback by cutting a 14-point West Virginia lead to 3 points at the end of the quarter. But West Virginia climbed up to a 13-point lead after the second quarter and eventually ended the game with a 20-point advantage.  

The Cowgirls took on the N0. 21 Belmont Bruins Nov. 26. The game was a close one until the third quarter when McNeese outscored Belmont 20-11, giving the Cowgirls a 76-66 win.  

McNeese graduate student Arianna Patton was named in the All-Tournament Team after scoring 17 points against West Virginia and 14 points against Belmont. 

The Cowgirls returned to the States and faced off against the Utah Tech Trailblazers Wednesday. McNeese kept up the momentum from their win against Belmont and controlled the game from the very start. In the first half, McNeese scored 37 points compared to Utah Tech’s 27. The gap only increased from there, bringing McNeese to a 67-52 victory over the Trailblazers.