Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football | |||
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First season | 1915 | ||
Head coach | Brian Wright 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
Stadium | Walkup Skydome (capacity: 10,500) | ||
Location | Flagstaff, Arizona | ||
NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
Conference | Big Sky Conference | ||
All-time record | 452–447–23 (.503) | ||
Conference titles | 2 (1978, 2003) | ||
Rivalries | Southern Utah (rivalry) | ||
Colors | Blue and gold [1] | ||
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.
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. [2] [3]
Year | Coach | Conference | Overall Record | Conference Record |
---|---|---|---|---|
1956† | Max Spilsbury | Frontier Conference | 8–2 | 3–0 |
1957 | 8–1 | 3–0 | ||
1958 | 11–1 | 3–0 | ||
1959 | 6–2–1 | 3–0 | ||
1960† | 6–3–2 | 2–0–1 | ||
1961 | 3–5–1 | 1–0–1 | ||
1962 | 6–4 | 2–0 | ||
1978 | Joe Salem | Big Sky Conference | 8–2 | 6–0 |
2003† | Jerome Souers | 9–4 | 5–2 |
The Lumberjacks have appeared in the NCAA I-AA/FCS playoffs six times, with an overall record of 1–6.
Year | Round | Opponent | Result | Head coach |
---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | First Round | Furman | L 32–41 | Steve Axman |
1999 | First Round | @ Georgia Southern | L 29–72 | Jerome Souers |
2001 | First Round | @ Sam Houston State | L 31–34 | |
2003 | First Round Quarterfinals | @ McNeese State Florida Atlantic | W 35–3 L 25–48 | |
2013 | First Round | South Dakota State | L 7–26 | |
2017 | First Round | San Diego | L 10–41 |
Year | Round | Opponent | Result | Head coach |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Quarterfinals | Jacksonville State | L 0–35 | Joe Salem |
Year | Round | Opponent | Result | Head coach |
---|---|---|---|---|
1958 | Semifinal | Gustavus Adolphus | W 41–12 | Max Spilsbury |
1958 | Final | Northeastern State | L 13–19 | Max Spilsbury |
Northern Arizona is tied with Weber State 28-28 in the series though the 2023 fall season. Has a 1-1 record for the trophy.
Northern Arizona leads Southern Utah 16–10 in the series through the 2021 fall season.
Name | Position |
---|---|
Brian Wright | Head Coach |
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach | |
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach | |
Defensive Line Coach | |
Defensive Backs Coach | |
Outside Linebackers Coach | |
Tight Ends Coach | |
Wide Receivers Coach | |
Offensive Line Coach | |
Running Backs/Special Teams Coordinator |
Notable alumni include:
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic powers, with large budgets, more elaborate facilities and more athletic scholarships than Divisions II and III as well as many smaller schools committed to the highest level of intercollegiate competition.
The J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome is an indoor multipurpose stadium in the southwestern United States, located on the campus of Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona. It is primarily used as the home of the NAU Lumberjacks football and both men's and women's basketball teams of the Big Sky Conference. The seating capacity is 11,230, with 10,000 permanent seats and 1,230 seats in portable bleachers.
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The NAU Lumberjacks are the varsity athletic teams representing Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona in intercollegiate athletics. The school's mascot was adopted in 1946. The Lumberjacks compete in NCAA Division I and are full members of the Big Sky Conference with the exception of the women's swimming and diving team which is an affiliate member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
The Southern Utah Thunderbirds football program is a college football team that represents Southern Utah University (SUU). With a history dating back to 1963, SUU currently competes in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the United Athletic Conference.
The 2011 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team represented Northern Arizona University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lumberjacks were led by 14th-year head coach Jerome Souers and played their home games at the Walkup Skydome. They finished the season with an overall record of 4–7 and a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for sixth place in Big Sky.
The 2018 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team represented Northern Arizona University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by 21st-year head coach Jerome Souers and played their home games at the Walkup Skydome. They were a member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 4–6, 3–4 in Big Sky play to finish in eighth place.
The 2008 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. In their eleventh year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled a 6–5 record, outscored opponents by a total of 316 to 273, and finished fifth out of nine teams in the Big Sky.
The 2007 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. In their tenth year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled a 6–5 record, outscored opponents by a total of 322 to 305, and finished third out of nine teams in the Big Sky.
The 2003 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their sixth year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled a 9–4 record, outscored opponents by a total of 409 to 305, and finished in a three-way tie for the Big Sky championship.
The 2001 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2001 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their fourth year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled an 8–4 record, outscored opponents by a total of 368 to 307, and tied for second place out of nine teams in the Big Sky.
The 1996 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The team compiled a 9–3 record and was No. 6 in the NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant rankings. Running back Archie Amerson won the Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding offensive player in NCAA Division I-AA football.
The 1990 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1990 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their first year under head coach Steve Axman, the Lumberjacks compiled a 5–6 record, were outscored by a total of 416 to 290, and placed in a four-way tie for fifth out of nine teams in the Big Sky. The team played its home games at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome, commonly known as the Walkup Skydome, in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The 1999 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1999 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their second year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled an 8–4 record, outscored opponents by a total of 409 to 370, and tied for second place in the Big Sky. The Lumberjacks were invited to play in the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they lost in the first round to eventual national champion Georgia Southern by a 72–29 score.
The 2006 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. In their ninth year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled a 6–5 record, outscored opponents by a total of 378 to 296, and finished fourth out of nine teams in the Big Sky.
The 2005 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2005 NCAA Division I FCS football season. In their eighth year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled a 3–8 record, were outscored by a total of 338 to 233, and finished in a tie for last place in the Big Sky.
The 2004 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their seventh year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled a 4–7 record, were outscored by a total of 314 to 244, and finished fifth out of eight teams in the Big Sky.
The 1998 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their first year under head coach Jerome Souers, the Lumberjacks compiled a 6–5 record, outscored opponents by a total of 241 to 227, and tied for seventh place in the Big Sky.