SFA Hosting Northern Arizona in 2015 Opener
4/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
· 2015 SFA Football Schedule
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Stephen F. Austin has announced a change to its 2015 football schedule as the Lumberjacks will now open the season hosting Northern Arizona on Saturday, September 5th at Homer Bryce Stadium. The game will take the place of the previously scheduled game against Division II foe Tarleton State.
The game against Northern Arizona now gives SFA 10 games against Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponents for the 2015 season, including the nine-game Southland Conference schedule. The Lumberjacks' game at nationally-ranked TCU in Fort Worth on September 12th will round out SFA's 11-game slate for 2015.
"Northern Arizona is a quality program from the Big Sky Conference and will give us 10 FCS games for the upcoming season," said Athletic Director Robert Hill. "Although Tarleton State is a great Division II opponent, the at-large opportunities for the FCS playoff is predicated on Division I wins. We appreciate Tarleton's willingness to cancel the game and wish them the best this upcoming season."
"This will be a great challenge for us," said head coach Clint Conque. "Northern Arizona is a well-established program out of the Big Sky and always fields a quality team. This will be a big challenge for our team, especially coming in the season opener, but it is a challenge we are ready to embrace."
It will be a battle of Lumberjacks in the season opener as Northern Arizona is coming off a 7-5 season in 2014, including a 5-3 mark in the Big Sky. SFA and Northern Arizona have met two times previously with NAU winning 10-3 in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2001, followed by a 24-17 overtime victory by SFA at Homer Bryce Stadium in 2004.
The game against Northern Arizona will be the first of five home games for SFA in 2015, including Southland Conference games against McNeese State, Nicholls, Incarnate Word and Houston Baptist. Season tickets for the 2015 SFA football season are now on sale by contacting (936) 468-JACK (5225).
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