![]() ![]() “We are thrilled to have received and accepted an invitation into this conference, with a new and visionary opportunity for high-level competition within the eastern region. “As James Madison University prepares and anticipates to earn additional national recognition for our academic programs and excellence, admission into the Sun Belt Conference is a natural and complementary next step for our institution,” said JMU President Jonathan Alger. All told, the Dukes have racked up 28 conference titles across 11 different sports since 2015. JMU has continued to build its national profile, finishing inside the top 100 of the Learfield Directors’ Cup each of the last six seasons, culminating at No. In addition to the success in football, the last six years have seen JMU win the 2018 NCAA Championship in women’s lacrosse, reach the semifinals of the 2021 Women’s College World Series and the 2018 national quarterfinals in men’s soccer. In the last decade, the Dukes have built one of the strongest mid-major athletics departments in the country. The Mountaineers have won six-straight bowl games from 2015-2020, the Eagles have been to four bowl games over the past six seasons and the Chanticleers have been ranked in the national polls for 21 straight weeks. The Dukes will aim to follow the path forged by a number of current Sun Belt members-most recently App State, Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina-that have found success at the FBS level after transitioning from the FCS ranks. The football program has appeared in the FCS playoffs on 17 occasions, including each of the past seven seasons. ![]() Athletically, the program claims four NCAA national championships-two in FCS football in 20, one in field hockey in 1994 and one in women’s lacrosse in 2018. James Madison University, founded in 1908 and located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, supports a student population of over 22,000. My colleagues and I look forward to welcoming the Dukes to the Sun Belt Conference!” I was very impressed with JMU’s beautiful campus and by their FBS-level facility investment during our visit. As I shared with President Alger and AD Bourne, the Sun Belt CEOs believe that JMU likewise mirrors our conference’s athletics and academic missions, while also capitalizing on regionality goals. “ The recent additions of Marshall, Southern Miss, and Old Dominion to the SBC aligned perfectly with our strategic goal of only adding schools that improved our conference’s competitiveness. Kelly Damphousse, Arkansas State Chancellor & Chair of the Sun Belt Executive Committee. “Since July, our presidents and chancellors have expressed confidence in Sun Belt leadership and our member configuration amid national realignment conversations,” said Dr. The addition of JMU will bring the number of Sun Belt members to 16, with the Dukes joining current members-App State, Little Rock, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, UTA, Texas State and Troy-and new additions Southern Miss, Old Dominion and Marshall, which were welcomed to the Sun Belt Conference last week. I am grateful to JMU President Jonathan Alger and Athletics Director Jeff Bourne for their leadership during this process and look forward to working closely with them moving forward.” “This move brings another strong brand and passionate fanbase into the Sun Belt and elevates the Dukes’ storied football program to the highest level of NCAA competition. “We are thrilled to welcome James Madison University to the Sun Belt Conference,” said Keith Gill, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner. CT at the Atlantic Union Bank Center on the JMU campus and is open to the public. JMU will join the Sun Belt Conference no later than July 1, 2023.Ī press conference is set for this morning (Saturday, Nov 6) at 10 a.m. The Sun Belt Conference announced Saturday the addition of James Madison University into the league after a unanimous vote of the Sun Belt CEOs. ![]()
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