Almost from the first day they left the Southland Conference rumors began that Stephen F. Austin would be returning soon.

Three years seems soon enough.

After heading into the Western Athletic Conference in the summer of 2021 with three other SLC classmates, the Lumberjacks return home hoping to make up for lost time.

They will begin the conference at McNeese State on Saturday night.

Their time in the WAC and then the United Athletic Conference didn’t go as planned. The WAC fell apart and the UAC has never taken off yet.

As for SFA, they had a rough year last season, going 0-6 in conference and just 3-8 overall. But they are a welcome addition to the Southland. Much like McNeese, they re-start this rivalry in hopes of jumping back into the top of the league.

“It’s a longtime rivalry but we haven’t played them since 2019,” said SFA head coach Corby Carthel. “I don’t think there is anything extra there.

“All eyes will be on Lake Charles Saturday. It is the only conference game on the schedule.”

McNeese will welcome the Lumberjacks back to the league with a group of new faces, much like SFA as well.

“It is a great thing for our conference,” McNeese head coach Gary Goff said of SFA’s return. “They are a great football program with a great tradition and make our league better overall.”

The Lumberjacks are 1-1 on the season, having blown out North American from NAIA 77-0 in the opener two weeks ago. The game was so one-sided that the teams agreed to play just five-minute quarters in the second half.

Last week SFA lost to FBS North Texas 35-20 so it is hard to say just where they are right now. The Lumberjacks had been looking for their first win over an FBS team since 2003, but they fell short.

“We are disappointed in that outcome,” said Carthel. “I thought we outplayed them, thought we outhit them, we just didn’t out-execute them. We have to improve and get better.

“Hopefully we have learned something about ourselves. I know we have a lot of confidence.”

SFA is led by quarterback Sam Vadlik, a junior transfer from Montana who battled McNeese’s Clifton McDowell for the starting job last season as the Grizzlies went to the FCS title game.

“He is a very tough competitor,” said McDowell. “We went through a lot of adversity in Montana together. He was family.”

Vadlik is 28-for-47 for 469 yards and six touchdowns over SFA’s first two games. Granted, a good portion of those numbers came in the season opener.

His top target has been Kylon Harris, who has 13 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.

SFA returns 14 starters from last season’s team, including All-Conference running back Jerrell Wimbley and defensive tackle Edward Bobino. The Lumberjacks have also forced five turnovers in the first two games, three on interceptions last weekend.

“We need to play complementary football,” said Carthel. “We are going to get better week in and week out.”