FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Feb. 5, 2024) – Northern Arizona University head football coach
Brian Wright has announced the 2024 schedule for his first year at the helm of the Lumberjacks. Along with the schedule announcement, season tickets are now on sale alongside renewals for existing ticket holders.
The Lumberjacks host five games at Findlay Toyota Field with the season opener set for Aug. 31 against Lincoln (CA) and play seven road games. The 2024 campaign is highlighted by three opponents who advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs, which NAU takes on consecutively to open Big Sky Conference action.
Football season ticket deposits can be placed
HERE, while those who wish to renew can do so by contacting the Lumberjack Ticket Office at
LumberjackTicketOffice@nau.edu or (928) 523-0639. Flex plans go on sale in May of 2024 and single game tickets will be available starting in the Summer of 2024.
Wright, who was officially announced as the 31
st head football coach at Northern Arizona in December of 2023, makes his Lumberjack debut against the Oaklanders from Lincoln University (CA), who compete as an independent. The Lumberjacks will host their annual Running of the Freshmen prior to kick and celebrate the newest NAU Hall of Fame inductees.
The following week, NAU heads down to Tucson to face Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent, Arizona, to kick off three-straight road games on Sept. 7. This will be the second-straight time the Lumberjacks have faced the Wildcats, falling 38-3 in the season opener last season. Arizona went on to finish 10-3 with a Valero Alamo Bowl victory over No. 12 Oklahoma to cap off the season. The Lumberjacks are 2-16 all-time against UA, picking up a victory in 2021.
The non-conference slate continues Sept. 14 at Utah Tech in St. George, Utah, where Northern Arizona will look to avenge a 50-36 home loss from last season. The Lumberjacks and Trailblazers will now meet annually as non-conference opponents and have met just one time prior to 2023 on Sept. 16, 2006, where NAU won 66-14, evening out the series 1-1 all-time.
For the first time in program history, the Lumberjacks face Incarnate Word out of the Southland Conference on Sept. 21 in San Antonio, Texas. The Cardinals finished 9-2 overall last season with a 6-1 mark in conference action.
On Sept. 28, Northern Arizona returns home for the first time in nearly a month to host Sacramento State to open Big Sky Conference play for Family Weekend and Hispanic Heritage Day. The Lumberjacks lead the all-time series 13-10 but have lost three-straight including a narrow 31-30 loss on the road last season. The Hornets finished 8-5 last season and 4-4 in Big Sky play, advancing to the second round of the FCS playoffs.
The return home will be brief, as the Lumberjacks go back out onto the road for two challenging conference games. Northern Arizona first plays at Idaho on Oct. 5 in Moscow, Idaho at the Kibbie Dome. It will mark the first time NAU has faced the Vandals since the 2022 season and the Lumberjacks trail the all-time series, 6-18, but have won two out of the last three. Idaho ended 2023 with a trip to the FCS Quarterfinals, finishing the year 9-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
On Oct. 12, Northern Arizona travels to Missoula, Mont., to take on the national FCS runners-up and Big Sky Conference champions, Montana. The Griz finished 13-2 and 7-1 in conference play, with the lone loss handed to them by the Lumberjacks last season at home when Montana was ranked No. 13/14. Despite the win streak, Northern Arizona trails the all-time series 37-15 and will be searching for its first victory in Missoula since 2012.
Big Sky Conference play rolls on with consecutive home games for the Lumberjacks with the bye week in between, beginning with Homecoming on Oct. 19 against Idaho State. Northern Arizona hasn't faced the Bengals since coming away from Pocatello, Idaho with a 34-10 victory in 2022. The Lumberjacks lead the all-time series, 37-19. The Bengals finished 3-8 (3-5 Big Sky) in 2023.
After the bye week, Northern Arizona welcomes Weber State to town for the Red Rock Rivalry with a trophy on the line, which will also serve as Military Appreciation Day on Nov. 2. Since the Red Rock Rivalry came to be in 2022, the Wildcats and Lumberjacks have each won on each other's home field. In 2023, NAU topped No. 13/14 WSU in Ogden by a score of 27-10 to bring the trophy back to Flagstaff. The Wildcats ended the year on a four-game winning streak to conclude 2023 6-5 and 4-4.
The road slate ends with two-straight away from Flagstaff at Cal Poly (Nov. 9) and Northern Colorado (Nov. 16), two opponents NAU beat the last time out. The Mustangs and the Lumberjacks last met on the gridiron in 2022 at Findlay Toyota Field where NAU came away with a 31-29 win. Cal Poly finished 3-8 overall last year and 1-7 in Big Sky games. All-time, NAU is 13-2 over the Mustangs with two-straight victories.
Northern Colorado finished the season 0-11 last year, as the Lumberjacks topped the Bears emphatically, 28-7, in Flagstaff. The win snapped a two-game deficit to UNC, improving NAU's all-time record to 16-7.
The 2024 regular season will conclude at home when Eastern Washington comes to town for Senior Day on Nov. 23. It will be the first visit to Flagstaff for the Eagles since 2016. Northern Arizona snapped a four-game losing streak to EWU in 2023's season finale with a 49-42 victory in Cheney. All-time, the Lumberjacks trail 23-13.
Northern Arizona finished the 2023 season with its best conference record since 2017 at 5-3 with a 5-6 mark overall. Wright welcomed 14 new Lumberjacks during the early signing period and will announce the February signees this Wednesday, Feb. 7. The signing class in its entirety will be introduced on Friday, Feb. 9, at A Night with the Jacks at Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort.
To view the 2024 schedule online, click
HERE. Times will be announced at a later date, and the home promotional schedule can be found below.
2024 Northern Arizona Home Football Promotional Schedule
Aug. 31 vs. Lincoln (CA): Running of the Freshmen / Hall of Fame
Sept. 28 vs. Sacramento State: Family Weekend / Hispanic Heritage Day
Oct. 19 vs. Idaho State: Homecoming
Nov. 2 vs. Weber State: Military Appreciation Day / Red Rock Rivalry
Nov. 23 vs. Eastern Washington: Senior Day
