The school is named for Father Henri Nouvel, a 17th-century French Jesuit missionary who is locally recognized as the first European to have visited the Saginaw River Valley region.

[8] In 2011, the Nouvel Boys Varsity football team repeated as State Champions for a third time, winning the Division 7 title in a 56–26 victory.

Running back Bennett Lewis tied the state record for scoring, with five touchdowns to his credit in the game.

[6] Blair White, a stand-out wide receiver for the Panthers from 2000 to 2004, signed with the Indianapolis Colts following the 2010 NFL draft.

White was a walk-on at Michigan State University and was named the Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year in 2010.