Northern Arizona University Athletics has announced that its Astrojacks alternate identity will return for a second season in 2025-26. The campaign, which debuted last year, was created to honor Flagstaff’s connection to space science and its status as the first International Dark Sky City. The initiative uses a color palette inspired by local astronomical history, including the discovery of Pluto in Flagstaff.
The Astrojacks will appear at six athletic events during the upcoming season, starting with soccer on October 17. The program will feature new uniforms and additional fan engagement opportunities. As in the previous year, jerseys will be auctioned to support NAU student-athletes.
Deputy Athletic Director for External Operations Alex Lais said, “The continuation of Astrojacks into year two is exciting for the department, for our student-athletes, and for the community to keep celebrating everything we set out to accomplish in year one. We saw success in so many ways, from fan engagement to revenue generation. We were able to generate buzz not just regionally, but nationally as well. From ESPN to NACMA, the narrative became that we’re doing something innovative by leaning into our area’s identity and telling a story not just about NAU, but about our incredible Flagstaff community. That’s a win for everybody.”
The campaign has received national attention and industry recognition. In 2025 it earned awards such as Most Creative Marketing Program from CLC and Gold at the NACMA “Best Of” Awards for Game Day Promotion. It was also recognized by several sports marketing outlets.
Head men’s basketball coach Shane Burcar commented on the impact of the campaign: “The Astrojacks jersey showed that we care and understand both our fan base and our student-athletes. It gave fans a different look, gave our players a way to express our city’s identity and was an opportunity to wear a cool jersey. The reactions were awesome when they saw the jerseys last year. A lot of smiles, laughs and photos. It also helped that they looked really sharp.”
Lais noted that new creative elements are being developed for this year’s campaign: “We want to keep trying new things as a department and as an institution. We’re still the Lumberjacks, but the Astrojacks aren’t going away anytime soon.”
After debuting at soccer on October 17, appearances are scheduled at volleyball on October 30; men’s basketball on January 19 and 24; and women’s basketball on February 5 and 7.
