Navarre Stadium

700 East McNeese St.
Lake Charles, La. 70607
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The 2025 McNeese Cowboy football season is breaking records long before it even begins thanks to a $5 million naming rights agreement that spans over 10 years between McNeese Athletics and local philanthropist Ryan Navarre that was announced on July 23, 2025.

This is the largest naming rights gift in both McNeese Athletics history and in the Southland Conference.

The Cowboys also have a practice area (A.I. Ratcliff Field) that includes three football fields on the east side of the stadium.

Navarre Stadium has been home to Cowboy football since 1965. “The Hole” has one of the most unique settings in all of Division I football. Nicknamed for a playing surface settled more than 10 feet below ground level, “The Hole” was recently rated fourth-best stadium in the FCS, holds one of the most successful winning percentages (222-104-5) at the FCS level—just under 70 percent, and has been home to 15 unbeaten seasons.

In its history, Navarre Stadium has hosted NFL Hall of Famers and well recognized NFL players such as Jackie Smith (Northwestern State, 1960), Roger Staubach (Pensacola Navy, 1968), Terry Bradshaw (Louisiana Tech, 1967 and 1968), Fred Dean (Louisiana Tech, 1971 and 1973), Kurt Warner (Northern Iowa, 1993), Steve Williams, aka, Stone Cold Steve Austin (North Texas, 1986), Mike Tomlin (William & Mary, 1993), Chad Pennington (Marshall, 1995), Daunte Culpepper (Central Florida, 1995), and Malcolm Butler (West Alabama, 2013), just to name a few.

A GAMEDAY LIKE NO OTHER!

MCNEESE FOOTBALL: AN OVER-THE-TOP EXPERIENCE