Louisiana Christian will open its 2026 season with a challenging road test Thursday night when it travels to Natchitoches, Louisiana, to face Northwestern State at Turpin Stadium. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) and will stream on ESPN+.
The matchup marks the first meeting between the two Cenla schools since the 1960s. Northwestern State coach Blaine McCorkle said he welcomes the in-state competition. “I think it’s great to play in-state opponents and play teams from different levels, and that gives those guys an opportunity to see what they can do,” he said.
Louisiana Christian enters the year with momentum. The Wildcats shared the 2025 Sooner Athletic Conference championship, their second conference title in three seasons, and finished nine wins last year. They also received votes in the final 2025 NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll. Now they step up in competition against an NCAA Division I opponent, hoping to become just the 13th recorded NAIA team to upset a Division I program.
Ben McLaughlin, Louisiana Christian’s head coach, is focusing on the fundamentals. “Every play is a one-on-one rep, whether you’re an offensive lineman, a defensive lineman, or a DB,” he said. “So just telling these guys, just trust your coach. You can win a rep.”
One of the Wildcats’ key players is junior running back Datlan Cunningham, an Alexandria native. Cunningham believes this game is about more than a win. “I think I can honestly make it somewhere out of here and prove that NAIA is not just the lowest level of college football, but it’s an opportunity as well,” he said.
Northwestern State is coming off a 1-11 season, but the Demons did open last year with a Thursday night win over Alcorn State. McCorkle is cautious despite the opponent’s lower division. “I expect it to be a four-quarter game and that’s what we got to prepare for because we haven’t earned the right to look at any game any other way,” he said.
The Demons, an FCS program from the Southland Conference, are opening at home on a Thursday for the second consecutive season. McCorkle has called Louisiana Christian a strong regional opponent, pointing to the Wildcats’ recent conference success as a reason the opener should provide an early test.
This is the first of two Division I road games for Louisiana Christian. The Wildcats will also travel to Southern in September. Both games offer a chance for the NAIA squad to make a statement on a bigger stage.
