Jacks Picked to Repeat as Southland Champs, Placed Inside Stats Perform Top 15
8/3/2026 12:35:00 PM | Football
SFA receives six of ten first-place votes, edges Southeastern Louisiana for top spot in SLC rankings; Jacks slotted at No. 13 nationally in Stats Perform FCS preseason Top 25
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Defending Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin has been picked to repeat as the league's champion this fall. The SLC announced the 2026 preseason poll on Monday morning with the Lumberjacks sitting atop the ten-team ranking after receiving 77 total points and six of ten first place votes. SFA edged out Southeastern Louisiana by two total points, while Lamar was picked third after receiving 67 total points and the remaining first-place nod.
All three programs appeared inside the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25. The Jacks will start the season ranked No. 13 nationally with the Lions and Cardinals slotted at No. 19 and No. 20, respectively. UTRGV, picked fourth in the SLC poll, is receiving national votes to start season two as a program.
SFA matches up with the aforementioned trio across a four-week span from late October through mid-November. The Jacks play host to Southeastern Louisiana for the first time since the 2016 season on October 24 and will hit the road for Lamar (11/7) and UTRGV (11/14) in consecutive weeks.
The Jacks were just ten points back of No. 12 South Dakota in the Stats Perform poll. SFA concluded the 2025 campaign at consensus No. 7 nationally; the program's highest final poll ranking since 1995 and the third-highest finish all-time.
SFA opens the 2026 season on August 29 in Lake Charles against McNeese. The Jacks host East Texas A&M on September 5 in the home opener and the lone game in Nacogdoches through the first four weeks of the season.
SEASON 100: ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The 2026 season will be the eighth for head coach Colby Carthel as the SFA football program hits the century mark in gridiron campaigns. The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Season tickets for the upcoming SFA Football season are on sale now, offering the best value for a six-game home slate. Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your season tickets today and be part of the action all season long.
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.
All three programs appeared inside the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25. The Jacks will start the season ranked No. 13 nationally with the Lions and Cardinals slotted at No. 19 and No. 20, respectively. UTRGV, picked fourth in the SLC poll, is receiving national votes to start season two as a program.
SFA matches up with the aforementioned trio across a four-week span from late October through mid-November. The Jacks play host to Southeastern Louisiana for the first time since the 2016 season on October 24 and will hit the road for Lamar (11/7) and UTRGV (11/14) in consecutive weeks.
The Jacks were just ten points back of No. 12 South Dakota in the Stats Perform poll. SFA concluded the 2025 campaign at consensus No. 7 nationally; the program's highest final poll ranking since 1995 and the third-highest finish all-time.
SFA opens the 2026 season on August 29 in Lake Charles against McNeese. The Jacks host East Texas A&M on September 5 in the home opener and the lone game in Nacogdoches through the first four weeks of the season.
SEASON 100: ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The 2026 season will be the eighth for head coach Colby Carthel as the SFA football program hits the century mark in gridiron campaigns. The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Season tickets for the upcoming SFA Football season are on sale now, offering the best value for a six-game home slate. Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your season tickets today and be part of the action all season long.
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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