The history of NAU football is more than just the game, but the events and traditions that have taken place and formed here on campus. The first team that started in 1915 has changed throughout the years, within the unit and the events that shape football and NAU itself. The sport of football created a platform to build NAU’s pride and has united the students and community of Flagstaff. Many traditions have played a significant role in creating True Blue NAU pride starting from homecoming weekend, football rivalries that run deep within the culture of the team, and embracing school spirit during the football games themselves.
Starting with a tradition that has been around since 1924 is NAU’s Homecoming. Homecoming is a well known traditional event that schools across the country participate in and support their team. In NAU’s case, this is an event that carries out for an entire week. Not only is it engaging with students, but it pulls itself into the community. It’s a week to celebrate the past and future of NAU with the returning of students to the new school year. Since the start, homecoming books were produced covering the content of the weekend. The book would include several pages of the homecoming queen and king, a message from the president, welcoming the alumni, the football roster and coaches, history of the opponent, and sponsors. These books had a colorful cover page and gave an in-depth report on NAU’s team, highlighting the best players. Having the book would build up the excitement and promote the game for students This event has now broadened through the week, not only for the weekend.
Now, before the homecoming game starts, Tequila Sunrise takes place through all the bars of Flagstaff. At 6 am, the community and students of age partake in this drinking tradition. This event always falls on Homecoming weekend and has been around since 1969. After drinking the morning away, tailgates outside the Walkup Skydome take place. Family, friends, and students, especially greek life, carry out activities and food before the Homecoming game starts.
Since NAU football has been around since 1915, there is bound to be a rival team that our school plays against. NAU football is part of the Big Sky Conference, division one athletics. Being in this conference allows the NAU to compete against several different teams. As the teams within the conference played, the rival competitor became known as Grand Canyon Rivalry. It was Northern Arizona University versus Southern Utah Thunderbirds from 1982 till around 2011. With a rivalry comes an incentive of being the winner and a prize. This prize is known as the Hintonburdick Grand Canyon Trophy. Out of the 22 games played against Southern Utah, Northern Arizona has won 13 of them. Winning the last game means that NAU has won the holding of the trophy prize. Southern Utah is the NAU’s team out of state rivalry, but the in-state rivals are Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. In 1950 the Arizona Sun Devils and Lumberjacks were rivals. Since then, ASU had become more successful in football and moved on to other teams. In 2017 the teams played each other for the first time in 57 years. These teams usually don’t have the chance to play each other and won’t become common opponents due to playing other teams.
During the football game as the crowd roars and NAU scores, a touchdown tree cookie is made. The tree cookie is a piece of log chainsawed off and stamped with the NAU logo. As this is happening right off the field, it’s an exciting tradition that fuels the crowd and creates visual entertainment throughout the game. Louie the Lumberjack mascot runs around showing off the tree cookie and the victory of scoring. Cutting the log is a unique tradition embracing the northern land and trees that surround the campus.
The football team has chants that are yelled out during the game. A pamphlet dated in 1928 called The Townjacks Varsity Banquet has the songs and yells that were used. They now have changed and become significantly shorter in length. In 1928 the “yells” were called N.A.T.C., Blue Gold, Are You Ready, and Yickety Yack. To today’s date, songs have taken over the yells. The songs have the same titles from back then, but lyrics have changed. They sing loudly and proudly echoing in the stadium, the Northern Arizona Alma Mater and the Lumberjack Fight Song. These yells and chants have evolved through NAU history but still, are essential in showing pride and excitement for the football team. Keeping the game alive, carrying out songs lifts spirits and shows roots and following to the side.
