The Abilene Christian Wildcats (ACU) and Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (SFA) have extended their football series through the 2027 season, ACU announced Thursday.
Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin previously announced contests for this season at SFA’s Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas, on Nov. 23 and next season at ACU’s Wildcat Stadium in Abilene, Texas, on Sept. 13.
With the extension of the series, ACU will host SFA on Sept. 12, 2026 before returning the game in Nacogdoches on Sept. 18, 2027.
Abilene Christian, a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC), and Stephen F. Austin, who returned to the Southland Conference this season, first met on the gridiron in 1973 and have played every season since 2014. The Wildcats won the most recent contest between the two schools last season in Nacogdoches, 34-27, but the Lumberjacks still hold a narrow advantage in the series, 13-12.
“We may be in different conferences now, but continuing to play SFA in football and basketball every year remains a high priority for us at ACU,” Abilene Christian University Vice President for Athletics Zack Lassiter said. “It’s a great rivalry for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. I’m grateful that [Director of Athletics] Michael McBroom and SFA share that vision.”
Abilene Christian is currently 4-3 overall and 3-1 in UAC play so far this season. Stephen F. Austin owns a 4-2 overall record and a 2-1 mark in Southland Conference action.
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Nice
Abilene Christian University are acting & saying the ethical & lawful things as well as Best Business practices behavior in extending this Series.
SFA Uni. did no such thing, withdrawing from the United Athletic Conference- W.A.C. less than 3 months before the 2024 – 25 Football season.
Their Uni. Administration has known for awhile when they were not satisfied with the realignment caused by SHSU Bearkats moving away from the WAC ( & whatever other Finaci$l reasons causing their abrupt departure from UAC-WAC membership).
The Stephen F. Austin U. Leadership could have presented this to their then current Conference & had good relations with the rest of the Texas AZ UT CA WAC moving forward to their membership return – realignment back to the Southland Conference in 2025.
It’s possible that they’ll be in the same conference by then if the WAC falls apart.
The WAC only has 7 members for next year. They could add someone like Northern Colorado, or maybe a D2 school like Angelo State or Colorado Mesa. If they can’t add anyone though, I don’t see them going forward with 7 members.