An FCS school's new mascot might have a case for best in the country

While the college football world can sometimes forget about the FCS side of the sport until the postseason, one school is rolling out a sick new identity that gives a nod to a little known academic program.

Northern Arizona University rolled out its "Astrojack Helmet" that it'll use during the 2025 season, honoring the school's space program. The NAU-NASA Space Grant is under the university's Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, part of the state-wide Arizona Space Grant Consortium.

The helmets will feature a bull wearing a space-themed suit, carrying an axe and log keeping in line with the school's original Lumberjack mascot. Another design will feature a large "A" in the same font as the NASA logo, with rings surrounding it similar to the planet Saturn.

Northern Arizona shoots for the moon with new mascot rollout

The Lumberjack's basketball team tipped off the school's rollout of the new mascot and alternate identity this season, complete with novel logos and uniforms. The colors are similar to the football helmets and display the layers of the Earth's atmosphere in reverse order from top to bottom.

The university-wide campaign is aiming to bring awareness to the important work the space program is doing but also to raise money for the student-athletes. A website where fans can bid on replica helmets, photographs and basketball jerseys being auctioned off was launched as well.

Other college football programs have had similar space-themed uniforms in the past. UCF has played at least once game in "Space City" jerseys and helmets each season since 2017 in an homage to the school's proximity to Kennedy Space Center, where most NASA missions are launched in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

NAU's new threads and domes shoot for the stars and it looks like they won't miss. College football fans should tune in to some FCS football next season and check them out.