Tony’s Take | Upset | Stance | 7 | Edition 110

By Tony Duckworth, [email protected]

Upset.  While this isn’t David slaying Goliath, the recent NAIA college victory over a D-I FCS university was a great upset. 

When I coached basketball against them, they were known as Louisiana College.  My Belhaven College men’s squad experienced one of the most satisfying road wins in my ten years as a head college coach in Pineville.  Gene Rushing’s teams were hard-nosed, competitive, and as well-coached as any team in college basketball. The Wildcats, Gene always referred to them as kitty cats, defeated my team more times than we beat them, even though we swept them that season. Several years ago, LC rebranded the Baptist school to Louisiana Christian University. Historically an NAIA program, they competed as a non-scholarship NCAA D-III school and returned to the NAIA several years ago. 

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics was founded in 1940 and includes 235 member institutions.  The membership is largely made up of small private liberal arts colleges.  There are 15 NAIA institutions in Georgia, including nearby schools Andrew College, ABAC, and Thomas University.   Historically, the men’s basketball tournament held in Kansas City featured the premier small college and university basketball programs.  This tournament began in 1937. Notable NAIA players who soared to the NBA were Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Albany State’s Caldwell and Major Jones.   

Current Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer won three NAIA national championships early in his coaching career.  In the late 20th Century, the NAIA lost numerous institutions that reclassified to NCAA D-II in waves, including Albany State University in the early 1970s.  In recent years, the NAIA has found its niche and has stabilized while providing an important role in the life of many small colleges around the nation. 

NCAA D-I FCS Northwestern State (LA) University (approximately 7800 students) has a 522 – 525 – 28 overall football record, but recent seasons have been a struggle for the modestly funded D-I program.  NW won one contest in 2025 and is 1 – 29 collectively since 2023.  I’m certain the program felt confident about getting off the mat in 2026 and starting 1 – 0.  LCU (enrolls under 950 students) had other plans, as they were coming off an 8-3 season in 2025 with eighteen returning starters. After trailing 27 – 14 at halftime, LCU rallied to take down the FCS program 42 – 37. 

Ira Gorawara of The Athletic reports on the duties small college coaches are involved in her August 30 article.  I can appreciate how she explains that the LCU Football program practices at sunrise due to sharing the facility with their soccer programs.   LCU’s head coach shared that while his program was fifteen minutes from winning the biggest game in program history, his cell phone began competing for his attention.  The calls were coming from the Pizza Hut delivery driver.  Laughing, Coach McLaughlin stated, “I told him before the game, it’s the two buses.  Just drop them off.”  I recall a time or two over the years when the delivery driver made their way to courtside as my team concluded a game. 

LCU first promoted the game as the first-ever NAIA win over a D-I program, but quickly discovered that at least 10 NAIA programs had succeeded in pulling off the D-I upset.  NAIA defeating D-I happens more often in basketball.  

LCU has access to 24 scholarships to spread across their roster, while FCS programs are capped at 63 scholarships.  LCU’s current cost of attendance is approximately $33,000 per student.  NW student-athletes are receiving more scholarship dollars, but that doesn’t measure the heart of the player.   

In many instances, athletics is the enrollment engine that keeps many NAIA institutions alive.  Nearby Andrew College has benefited greatly from expanding its sport offerings. The LCU football roster makes up one of five students at their institution.   

Moving forward, I’m certain FCS schools will pause before casually scheduling an NAIA program given the message the small Pineville, LA school provided. 

Stance.  The NAIA made an association-wide decision regarding those identifying as transgender in 2024. As an association, the NAIA instituted a ban on transgender men who have begun transgender hormone therapy and all transgender women from competing in women’s sports.  The NCAA instituted a similar policy in 2025. 

7.  Entering Wednesday’s game, the Braves lead the Phillies by 3 games with 7 games remaining in the rivalry.  While the ATL has more room for error heading down the stretch, Philly is like that cockroach in the garage that won’t go away.   

Vegas has the Braves at -295 to win the NL East.  Should Philadelphia pull off the improbable, I can assure you no team would want to face the Phillies, as they would be the hottest team in MLB.  

Tony Duckworth is a native of Macon and is the President and CEO of the Albany Area YMCA. Tony worked in intercollegiate athletics for thirty-one years. He was an NCAA Division II Director of Athletics at three universities following ten years as a head men’s basketball coach at two colleges. Email Tony Duckworth at [email protected].