Misplaced Pages

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Football
2024 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team
First season	1915; 109 years ago (1915)
Head coach	Brian Wright 1st season, 8–4 (.667)
Stadium	Walkup Skydome (capacity: 10,500)
Location	Flagstaff, Arizona
NCAA division	Division I FCS
Conference	Big Sky Conference
All-time record	457–451–23 (.503)
Conference titles	2 (1978, 2003)
Rivalries	Southern Utah (rivalry)
Colors	Blue and gold
Website	nauathletics.com

The NAU Lumberjacks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Northern Arizona University located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1915. The team plays its home games at the 10,500 seat Walkup Skydome. Brian Wright was hired as the Head Football Coach on December 3, 2023.

History

The Lumberjacks have maintained numerous rivalries with their western counterparts. Competition has not only been limited to the west. The Lumberjacks have also taken on eastern programs such as the Ole Miss Rebels, Florida Atlantic Owls, and the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

On September 18, 2021, Northern Arizona beat Arizona for the first time since 1932, winning 21–19. It was their first win against a FBS team since beating UTEP in 2018 and their third overall win against an FBS team since 2012. It is also the first time they beat a member of the Pac-12 Conference.

Classifications

• 1937–1952: NCAA College Division
• 1953–1968: NAIA
• 1969–1972: NCAA College Division
• 1973–1977: NCAA Division II
• 1978–present: NCAA Division I

Conference affiliations

• Independent (1915–1930, 1963–1969)
• Border Conference (1931–1952)
• New Mexico Conference / Frontier Conference (1953–1962)
• Big Sky Conference (1970–present)

Championships

Conference championships

Postseason results

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS playoffs

The Lumberjacks have appeared in the NCAA I-AA/FCS playoffs seven times, with an overall record of 1–6.

NCAA Division II playoffs

• NAU was runner-up in Big Sky to champion Boise State, which had a scheduling conflict.

NAIA

Rivalries

Weber State

Northern Arizona leads Weber State 29-28 overall in the series through the 2024 fall season. Has a 2-1 record for the trophy, with the last meeting in Flagstaff on November 2, 2024 winning 27-6.

Southern Utah

Northern Arizona leads Southern Utah 16–10 in the series through the 2021 fall season.

Current coaching staff

Notable former players

Notable alumni include:

• John Bonds
• Shawn Collins
• Michael Haynes
• Michael Mendoza
• Rex Mirich, first Lumberjack football player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
• Keith O'Neil
• Khalil Paden
• Speedy Duncan: Played six years professional football in the American Football League (AFL).
• Travis Brown: Played for the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills from 2000 to 2003.
• Willard Reaves: Played pro football in the Canadian Football League and the National Football League. In the CFL he played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where his team won the 1984 Grey Cup and, in the same season, Reaves won the Most Outstanding Player Award. He also played for the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins in the NFL.
• Tom Jurich, former athletic director at the University of Louisville
• Archie Amerson
• Pete Mandley
• Allan Clark
• Derek Mason – college football coach
• Case Cookus
• Frank Pollack
• Luis Aguilar

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of August 11, 2024.

References

1. "Northern Arizona University Visual Identity Guide". Retrieved December 5, 2022.
2. @NAU_Football (September 19, 2021). "FINAL" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
3. "NAU Knocks off Arizona 21-19 for First Ever Win Against a Pac-12 Opponent". September 18, 2021.
4. "Leslie Duncan - ArenaFan.com". www.arenafan.com. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
5. "Northern Arizona Lumberjacks". fbsschedules.com. USATODAY College Sports. Retrieved August 11, 2024.

External links

• Official website

v t e Northern Arizona University
Located in: Flagstaff, Arizona
Academics	W.A. Franke College of Business
Athletics	NAU Lumberjacks Football Men's basketball Women's basketball Cross country Ice hockey
Facilities	Ashurst Auditorium Lumberjack Stadium Walkup Skydome
History and media	2015 Northern Arizona University shooting KLJX-LP KNAU KPUB
People	Alumni
Founded: 1899 Students: 28,090 Endowment: $225.9 million

• Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football
• American football teams established in 1915
• 1915 establishments in Arizona