Historic Campaign Leads to Best Poll Finish in Over Three Decades
1/7/2026 3:10:00 PM | Football
‘Jacks cap the 2025 season ranked No. 7 in both the Stats Perform FCS Media Poll and AFCA FCS Coaches Poll: the program’s highest end-of-year ranking since 1995 and the third-highest all-time
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Sevens are lucky in Vegas, but luck had nothing to do with the sevens tagged to Stephen F. Austin's end-of-year finish in both the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Media Poll and the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. The Lumberjacks, fresh off a historic campaign, capped the 2025 season as the consensus No. 7 team nationally, the highest final poll ranking for the program since 1995 and the third-highest final poll ranking all-time.
In both polls, SFA climbed three spots from its final regular season ranking of No. 10 behind a 41-34 second round playoff win over Abilene Christian and a 44-28 quarterfinal loss to eventual national champion Montana State. Both rankings included Southeastern Louisiana (19th STATS, 19th AFCA) and Lamar (24thSTATS, 21st AFCA) inside the top 25, while UTRGV received votes in each final listing.
The 'Jacks captured the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010. It was the second league championship under seventh-year head coach Colby Carthel after the 'Jacks won the 2022 WAC title. The 2025 championship came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. SFA produced a program-record 11-game winning streak, while reaching double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history. The squad's 11 victories are the most since the '95 campaign.
SFA in Final Rankings (Since 1978)
2025: 7th (Stats Perform FCS Media Poll), 7th (AFCA FCS Coaches Poll)
2010: 8th (Sports Network Poll), 10th (AFCA)
2009: 10th (SNP), 9th (AFCA)
1999: 22nd (SNP)
1997: 13th (SNP)
1996: 22nd (SNP)
1995: 5th (SNP)
1994: 21st (SNP)
1993$: 14th (SNP)
1989*: 3rd (SNP)
1988*: 9th (SNP)
$- First year of third-party polling, The Sports Network handled the polling until 2015 when it became the Stats Perform media poll
*- Rankings from the NCAA Football Committee and are for end of regular season, no end of season polls were conducted
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
In both polls, SFA climbed three spots from its final regular season ranking of No. 10 behind a 41-34 second round playoff win over Abilene Christian and a 44-28 quarterfinal loss to eventual national champion Montana State. Both rankings included Southeastern Louisiana (19th STATS, 19th AFCA) and Lamar (24thSTATS, 21st AFCA) inside the top 25, while UTRGV received votes in each final listing.
The 'Jacks captured the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010. It was the second league championship under seventh-year head coach Colby Carthel after the 'Jacks won the 2022 WAC title. The 2025 championship came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. SFA produced a program-record 11-game winning streak, while reaching double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history. The squad's 11 victories are the most since the '95 campaign.
SFA in Final Rankings (Since 1978)
2025: 7th (Stats Perform FCS Media Poll), 7th (AFCA FCS Coaches Poll)
2010: 8th (Sports Network Poll), 10th (AFCA)
2009: 10th (SNP), 9th (AFCA)
1999: 22nd (SNP)
1997: 13th (SNP)
1996: 22nd (SNP)
1995: 5th (SNP)
1994: 21st (SNP)
1993$: 14th (SNP)
1989*: 3rd (SNP)
1988*: 9th (SNP)
$- First year of third-party polling, The Sports Network handled the polling until 2015 when it became the Stats Perform media poll
*- Rankings from the NCAA Football Committee and are for end of regular season, no end of season polls were conducted
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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