In their third year under head coach Joe Salem, the Lumberjacks compiled a 9–3 record (5–1 against conference opponents), outscored opponents by a total of 324 to 204, and finished second out of seven teams in the Big Sky.
[1] The team played its season and home opener on September 3 at Lumberjack Stadium before moving to the newly-constructed NAU Ensphere, later renamed the Walkup Skydome, in Flagstaff, Arizona.
[1] The Lumberjacks earned a berth in the 1977 NCAA Division II Playoffs, losing in the first round to Jacksonville State.
[16] Northern Arizona did not play Idaho, so a non-conference game was designated to count in the standings for each team.
Both were home games against Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) opponents; Idaho lost to Pacific, while NAU defeated Cal State Fullerton.