Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
2023 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team
Stephen F. Austin Athletics wordmark.svg
First season1923
Athletic directorRyan Ivey
Head coachColby Carthel
4th season, 23–22 (.511)
StadiumHomer Bryce Stadium
(capacity: 14,575)
Field surfaceHellas Matrix Turf
LocationNacogdoches, Texas
NCAA divisionDivision I FCS
ConferenceUnited Athletic Conference
All-time record370–468–30 (.444)
Bowl record1–0 (1.000)
Conference titles6 (1 Gulf Star, 4 SLC, 1 WAC)
RivalriesNorthwestern State Demons (rivalry)
Sam Houston Bearkats (rivalry)
ColorsPurple and white[1]
   
Websitewww.sfajacks.com

The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the United Athletic Conference. The UAC, newly formed for the 2023 season, is a merger of the football leagues of SFA's primary home of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the ASUN Conference. It replaces an alliance between the two conferences that operated in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.[2][3]

SFA had long been a member of the Southland Conference (SLC) before joining the WAC in July 2021, the same time that conference relaunched its football league at the FCS level.[4] Stephen F. Austin's first football team was fielded in 1923. The team plays its home games at the 14,575 seat Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Conference championships

Year Coach Conference Overall record Conference record
1985† Jim Hess Gulf Star Conference 9–2 4–1
1989 Lynn Graves Southland Conference 12–2–1 6–0–1
1999† Mike Santiago 8–3 6–1
2009† J. C. Harper 10–3 6–1
2010 9–3 6–1
2022 Colby Carthel Western Athletic Conference 6–5 3–1
Conference championships 6

† Co-champions

Head coaches

Red Conkright was head coach from 1959 to 1961.
Red Conkright was head coach from 1959 to 1961.

Notable former players

Bum Phillips played college football for the Lumberjacks
Bum Phillips played college football for the Lumberjacks

Notable alumni include:

Postseason history

The Lumberjacks earned a berth in the FCS playoffs in 2009, the first postseason appearance for the team since 1995. The 2010 season marked the first time that the school had won an outright conference championship since 1989.

The team's only bowl game was the 1973 Poultry Bowl, in which the team defeated Gardner-Webb, 31–10, in Gainesville, Georgia.

Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs results

The Lumberjacks have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs eight times with an overall record of 7–8.

Year Round Opponent Result
1988 First round
Quarterfinals		 Jackson State
Georgia Southern		 W 24–0
L 6–27
1989 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship Game		 Grambling State
Southwest Missouri State
Furman
Georgia Southern		 W 59–56
W 55–25
W 21–19
L 34–37
1993 First round Troy State L 20–42
1995 First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		 Eastern Illinois
Appalachian State
Montana		 W 34–29
W 27–17
L 14–70
2009 First round
Quarterfinals		 Eastern Washington
Montana		 W 44–33
L 0–51
2010 Second round Villanova L 24–54
2014 First round Northern Iowa L 10–44
2021 First round Incarnate Word L 28–35 OT

Rivalries

The Lumberjacks have active rivalries with the Northwestern State Demons and the Sam Houston Bearkats.

Main articles: Chief Caddo and Battle of the Piney Woods

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of December 4, 2022.[5] Austin Peay, announced as a non-conference opponent for 2024 and 2025, became a conference opponent with the formation of the UAC.

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
at Troy at Kansas at Nicholls Missouri State at Missouri State at Louisville
Alcorn State at North Texas Nicholls
at Northwestern State at Montana State Montana State
Texas A&M–Commerce at Texas A&M–Commerce
Northwestern State

References

  1. ^ SFA Official University Identity Standards Manual (PDF). June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "ASUN And WAC Unveil 2023 Football Schedule" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  3. ^ "ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands As The United Athletic Conference" (Press release). ASUN Conference. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  4. ^ "WAC Announces Expedited Entrance for Four Texas Institutions" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  5. ^ "Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 4, 2022.

External links

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football
United Athletic Conference
Categories