Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football

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

Northern Arizona has won nine conference championships, six outright and three shared.

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

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

NAIA

Rivalries

Southern Utah

Northern Arizona leads Southern Utah 17–10 in the series through the 2025 season.

Weber State

Northern Arizona is tied with Weber State 29–29 overall in the series through the 2025 season and also has a 2–2 record for the Red Rock Rivalry trophy, with the last meeting in Ogden on November 22, 2025 losing 48–28.

Current coaching staff

Notable former players

Notable alumni include:

• Khalil Dorsey: American professional football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the NFL. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
• 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
• Sonny Campbell NFL running back

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of October 28, 2025.

References

External links