Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks

Stephen F. Austin
Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks
Logo
UniversityStephen F. Austin State University
ConferenceSouthland
CUSA (women's bowling)
NCAADivision I (FCS)
Athletic directorRyan Ivey
LocationNacogdoches, Texas
Varsity teams16
Football stadiumHomer Bryce Stadium
Basketball arenaWilliam R. Johnson Coliseum
Baseball stadiumJaycees Field
Softball stadiumSFA Softball Field
Soccer stadiumSFA Soccer Field
Other venuesSchlief Tennis Complex
Shelton Gym
NicknameLumberjacks
ColorsPurple and white[1]
   
Websitesfajacks.com

The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks are composed of 16 teams representing Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) in intercollegiate athletics. Stephen F. Austin teams participate in Division I as a member of the Southland Conference (SLC), having rejoined that conference on July 1, 2024 after three years in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The football team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly known as Division I-AA) for football in the SLC. The only SFA sport not sponsored by the SLC is women's bowling, which competes in Conference USA (CUSA).

On July 1, 2021, SFA was one of five institutions announced as future members of the WAC, alongside three other Southland members from Texas (Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston) plus Big Sky Conference member Southern Utah.[2] Initially, all five schools were to join in July 2022, but the entry of SFA and the other Texas schools was moved to 2021 after the Southland expelled its departing members.[3] Because the WAC does not sponsor beach volleyball, SFA joined the Atlantic Sun Conference (then officially known as the ASUN Conference) for that sport.[4] After the 2022 season, SFA moved beach volleyball to the Sun Belt Conference.[5]

SFA football played the 2021 and 2022 seasons in a football-only alliance between the WAC and the ASUN. After the 2022 season, the WAC and ASUN fully merged their football leagues under the new identity of United Athletic Conference.[6]

On July 1, 2024, SFA officially rejoined the SLC for all sports except women's bowling, which remains in Conference USA.[7]

Sports sponsored

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Men's sports Women's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Beach Volleyball
Cross country Bowling
Football Cross country
Golf Golf
Track and field† Soccer
Softball
Tennis
Track and field†
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

Bowling

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The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks bowling team won the 2016 NCAA national championship, going to a deciding seventh game in defeating defending national champion Nebraska. The Ladyjacks added their second national title in five seasons in 2019, defeating Vanderbilt by a 4–1 score.[8]

SFA was a member of the single-sport Southland Bowling League from that conference's formation in 2015 until its merger into CUSA after the 2022–23 season.[9]

Softball

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Main article: Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks softball

The Ladyjacks softball team has appeared in four Women's College World Series in 1978, 1983, 1985,1986.[10]

National Championships

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Team (3)

  • Softball: 1986
  • Bowling: 2016
  • Bowling: 2019

Individual (5)

  • Steve Riza (Men's Tennis - Singles): 1984
  • Tom Goles & Chris Langford (Men's Tennis - Doubles): 1985
  • Neil Smith (Men's Tennis - Singles): 1986
  • Demi Payne (Women's Pole Vault): 2015
  • Branson Ellis (Men's Pole Vault): 2021

References

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  1. ^ SFA Official University Identity Standards Manual (PDF). June 17, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "WAC Announces Expansion, Plans to Reinstate Football" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  3. ^ "WAC Announces Expedited Entrance for Four Texas Institutions" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  4. ^ "11th Season of #ASUNBVB Begins This Weekend" (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 24, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022. Stephen F. Austin begins its first season in the league and is set to open its 2022 campaign at the Kingsville Tournament where they face Ottawa, Texas A&M Kingsville, Missouri Baptist and Colorado Mesa.
  5. ^ "Sun Belt Conference Adds Beach Volleyball For 2023" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. January 18, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  6. ^ "ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands as the United Athletic Conference" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  7. ^ "SFA Accepts Bid to Southland Conference for 2024-25 Season".
  8. ^ "Stephen F. Austin wins first NCAA championship". Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  9. ^ "Conference USA to Add Bowling for 2023-24 Season" (Press release). Conference USA. May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  10. ^ Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN 978-0-9893007-0-4.
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