PLUTO (August 11, 2025) – After earning national headlines, industry awards, and several victories in its debut year, Northern Arizona University Athletics is proud to announce the return of its alternate identity – the Astrojacks – for a second season. What began as a simple concept quickly evolved into a campus-wide movement that put NAU in the national spotlight.
The Astrojacks campaign was created to honor Flagstaff's lunar legacy, space science roots, and its distinction as the world's first International Dark Sky City. With its interstellar color palette of Nova Navy, Stardust Gold, and Pluto Blue, the identity also pays tribute to the discovery of Pluto – made right in Flagstaff – and the region's deep ties to the U.S. space program.
The Astrojacks will land six times during the 2025-26 season – beginning with soccer on October 17 – and bring with them new uniforms, fresh storytelling elements and more immersive fan engagement opportunities. Like last year, the Astrojack jerseys will also be auctioned off to benefit NAU student-athletes.
Deputy Athletic Director for External Operations Alex Lais said the return of the campaign is about building on momentum. In their debut season in 2024-25, the national spotlight validated the launch of the Astrojacks.
"The continuation of Astrojacks into year two is exciting for the department, for our student-athletes, and for the community to keep celebrating everything we set out to accomplish in year one. We saw success in so many ways, from fan engagement to revenue generation," Lais said. "We were able to generate buzz not just regionally, but nationally as well. From ESPN to NACMA, the narrative became that we're doing something innovative by leaning into our area's identity and telling a story not just about NAU, but about our incredible Flagstaff community. That's a win for everybody."
The Astrojacks campaign earned NAU the 2025 Most Creative Marketing Program award from CLC and a Gold at the NACMA "Best Of" Awards for Game Day Promotion. The initiative was also recognized by Old Hat Creative, Uni Watch, Athletics Admin, RedditCFB, UniSwag and others for its bold creativity and campus storytelling.
Head men's basketball coach Shane Burcar said one of the most surprising impacts was in recruiting.
"The Astrojacks jersey showed that we care and understand both our fan base and our student-athletes," Burcar said. "It gave fans a different look, gave our players a way to express our city's identity and was an opportunity to wear a cool jersey. The reactions were awesome when they saw the jerseys last year. A lot of smiles, laughs and photos. It also helped that they looked really sharp."
Lais said the department is excited to further develop the concept in year two, with new creative elements in the works.
"We want to keep trying new things as a department and as an institution. We're still the Lumberjacks, but the Astrojacks aren't going away anytime soon."
Following the Astrojacks' debut at soccer on October 17, the Astrojacks will also land at volleyball on October 30, men's basketball on January 19 and 24 and women's basketball on February 5 and 7 during the 2025-26 season.
