This fall, James Madison will make its FBS debut in the Sun Belt Conference. With the right timing, the right coach and an instilled culture of excellence, the Dukes are doing so knowing they can be one of the bigger FCS-to-FBS success stories of the modern era.
Sitting in the western part of Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley, the Harrisonburg-based campus and its athletic department have seen rapid growth in the 21st century. The Dukes won the FCS (then Division I-AA) national championship in 2004 with head coach Mickey Matthews, and that success helped kick-start an investment in football that paid off with seven more conference championships, three more FCS national championship game appearances (2016, 2017, 2019) and another national title in 2016.
The on-field success and school’s location have made JMU a frequently mentioned candidate for FBS expansion in years past. There were even potential opportunities to make the move to the FBS about “10 or 11 year ago,” according to head coach Curt Cignetti, but the school opted to defer and continue the building process, both in football and other sports.
The cancellation of the 2020 fall season due to the COVID-19 pandemic sparked renewed discussions about where the Dukes stood in the Division I landscape, and massive upheaval in the Sun Belt provided an opportunity for JMU to find a strong landing place at the FBS level. In joining the Sun Belt, JMU lines up with old FCS foes Appalachian State and Georgia Southern, while also establishing new regional rivalries with fellow Sun Belt newcomers Old Dominion and Marshall, both of which are joining the league from Conference USA.
While the move provides some familiarity, JMU is transitioning to the FBS in unprecedented fashion. What has previously been a two-year transition period will be attempted in just one season. While other programs have used those years to flip the schedule to FBS-level competition, the Dukes will be playing a full eight-game Sun Belt schedule plus a nonconference slate that includes a trip to Louisville on Nov. 5. Welcoming the challenge of a tougher schedule while the program transitions is just the first piece of what’s already become an aggressive scheduling philosophy, with the Dukes lining up more Power Five foes in 2023 (Virginia), 2024 (North Carolina) and 2025 (Virginia Tech).
The right coach at the right time
While FBS play — or even…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…