- McNeese State University is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
- The Cowboys (27-6) qualified for the NCAA Men’s Tournament by winning the Southland Conference for the second straight season.
March Madness is always full of upsets from little-known schools making a splash in the NCAA Tournament.
Thursday’s first full day of action has many wondering: Who the heck is McNeese State?
Don’t worry, we’ve got your covered.
Where is McNeese State?
McNeese State University is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The school was founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College.
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The public university had an undergraduate student population of 5,720 in fall 2024. Tuition is $9,000 in-state and $10,000 for out-of-state students.
How did McNeese State make NCAA Tournament?
McNeese State upset No. 5 seed Clemson, 69-67, in Providence, Rhode Island on Thursday in first-round action. Guard Brandon Murray led McNeese with 21 points as the Cowboys blew an 18-point halftime lead, but held on.
The Cowboys (27-6) qualified for the NCAA Men’s Tournament by winning the Southland Conference for the second straight season – both as a No. 12 seed. It is the school’s fourth overall appearance in the tournament.
Cowboys head coach Will Wade (soon to be NC State’s new coach) and assistant Vernon Hamilton are both graduates of Clemson.
McNeese State famous alumni
- Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer Joe Dumars
- Toto singer/songwriter Bobby Kimball
- Doug Kershaw, American fiddle player, singer and songwriter
- Author Andre Dubus
- Pulitzer Prize winner Adam Johnson
- College football Hall of Famer R. C. Slocum
