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 Southland Conference, which SFA rejoined for the 2024 season after a three-year absence. SFA had played the 2023 season in the United Athletic Conference (UAC), newly formed for the 2023 season as a merger of the football leagues of SFA's previous home of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). It replaced an alliance between the two conferences that operated in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
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. It returned to the SLC for 2024 and beyond. 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 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 2025 Southland Conference 11–3 8–0 Conference championships 7 † Co-champions
Head coaches
Bob Shelton (1923–1928) Gene White (1929–1936) Red Willis (1937–1940) Maurice A. Baumgarten (1941) No team (1942–1945) Bill Pierce (1946) Ted Jefferies (1947–1955) Harold J. Fischer (1956–1958) Red Conkright (1959–1961) Shorty Hughes (1962–1970) John Levra (1971–1974) Dick Munzinger (1975) Charles Simmons (1976–1981) Jim Hess (1982–1988) Lynn Graves (1989–1991) John Pearce (1992–1998) Mike Santiago (1999–2004) Robert McFarland (2005–2006) J. C. Harper (2007–2013) Clint Conque (2014–2017) Jeff Byrd (interim) (2018) Colby Carthel (2019–present)
Notable former players
Notable alumni include: :
Bruce Alexander Derrick Blaylock Larry Centers KaRon Coleman Spike Dykes John Franklin-Myers Todd Hammel Sam Hunt BJ Thompson
Willie Jefferson Mark Moseley Bum Phillips Mike Quinn James Ritchey George Shirkey Jeremiah Trotter Ben Wells Xavier Gipson
Postseason history The Lumberjacks earned a berth in the NCAA Division I 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 made nine appearances in the Division I-AA/FCS playoffs, with an overall record of 8–9.
1988 First RoundQuarterfinals Jackson StateGeorgia Southern W 24–0L 6–27 1989 First RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship Game Grambling StateSouthwest Missouri StateFurmanGeorgia Southern W 59–56W 55–25W 21–19L 34–37 1993 First Round Troy State L 20–42 1995 First RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals Eastern IllinoisAppalachian StateMontana W 34–29W 27–17L 14–70 2009 First RoundQuarterfinals Eastern WashingtonMontana W 44–33L 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 2025 Second RoundQuarterfinals Abilene ChristianMontana State W 41–34L 28–44
Rivalries The Lumberjacks have active rivalries with the Northwestern State Demons and the Sam Houston Bearkats.
Future non-conference opponents Announced schedules as of July 29, 2026.
at Abilene Christian Abilene Christian at Texas Tech at Cal Poly at Louisville at Prairie View A&M Northeastern State Prairie View A&M Northeastern State
References
External links