Humboldt State was a football member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in NCAA Division II.
They joined the Far Western Conference for the 1946 season but didn't have much success there until the hiring of Phil Sarboe in 1951.
[note 3] Only Humboldt State remained in Division II[3] and continued with a successful D-II program (until the announced discontinuation after the 2018 season).
Phil Sarboe was hired as Humboldt State head coach in January 1951 after the team had experienced two consecutive winless seasons.
Running Back Cecil Stephens led the way, rushing for 1,119 yards and scoring 20 touchdowns, a school record that still stands.
His teams won the conference championship in 2011 and 2015, reaching the Division II playoffs after the 2015 season.
[5] The Lumberjacks play home games in the Redwood Bowl, a stadium located on the campus of Humboldt State.
[7] A number of players from Humboldt State have gone on to play in the National Football League (NFL).
Wendell Hayes was a Lumberjack in 1962 and was on the winning Kansas City Chiefs squad in Super Bowl IV.
Alex Cappa was a Lumberjack in 2017 and was on the winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad in Super Bowl LV.