Stephen_F._Austin_Ladyjacks_soccer
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks
Sports program representing Stephen F. Austin State University
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 the Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), having joined that conference on July 1, 2021, leaving the Southland Conference. The football team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS,-formerly known as Division I-AA) for football as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). As of the 2023–24 season, the women's bowling team competes as a single-sport member of Conference USA.
On July 1, 2021, SFA was one of five institutions announced as future members of the Western Athletic Conference (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 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 Conference, After the 2022 season, the WAC and ASUN fully merged their football leagues under the new identity of United Athletic Conference.[6]
In July 2024, SFA will re-join the Southland Conference for all athletic sports except Women's Bowling which will remain in Conference USA.[7]