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.
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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
NAU was runner-up in Big Sky to champion Boise State, which had a scheduling conflict.
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.
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
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of October 28, 2025.