1. A method for load balancing stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) messages, the method comprising: receiving an SCTP message containing an address, a port identifier, and a verification tag; determining, using the verification tag, an associated application server from a plurality of application servers, wherein determining, using the verification tag, the associated application server from the plurality of application servers includes determining whether the address and the port identifier are associated with an entry in a load balancing data structure, in response to determining that the address and the port identifier are not associated with an entry in the load balancing data structure, determining whether the verification tag and the port identifier are associated with an entry in the load balancing data structure, in response to determining that the verification tag and the port identifier are associated with an entry in the load balancing data structure, modifying the entry so that the address and the port identifier are associated with the entry, and identifying the application server using the entry; and sending the SCTP message to the application server for processing.