James Madison Accepts Invitation to Sun Belt Conference, Will Join No Later Than 2023
Nov 6, 2021
RICHMOND, VA - OCTOBER 16: Richmond Spiders offensive line in the trenches during a game between the James Madison Dukes and the Richmond Spiders on October 16, 2021, at E. Claiborne Robins Stadium in Richmond, VA (Photo by Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
James Madison University accepted an
invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference, a move that'll be
completed no later than July 1, 2023.
The Dukes are a member of the
Colonial Athletic Association and field an FCS football program,
which will transition to the FBS level in the Sun Belt.
JMU athletic director Jeff Bourne
released a statement about the decision:
The Sun Belt Conference presents
the right opportunity at the right time for James Madison Athletics.
Our department has achieved at a tremendously high level over the
last seven years and even further throughout our entire history. We
have demonstrated an increased ability to succeed at the national
level, and this move to the Sun Belt further enhances that to an even
greater degree as we move forward. JMU is committed to providing the
best student-athlete experience in the nation, and this move ensures
that our focus resides on our student-athletes and balancing their
competitive and off-the-field success.
James Madison's impending arrival
increases the Sun Belt's projected size to 16 as part of the
nationwide collegiate sports realignment jump-started by Oklahoma and
Texas announcing their plans to leave the Big 12 for the SEC in July.
The Sun Belt's 12 current members—Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia
Southern, Georgia State, Arkansas Little Rock, Louisiana Lafayette,
Louisiana Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy and UT Arlington—will be joined by JMU, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern
Mississippi by 2023. In football, the conference will move from 10 to 14 teams.
Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill
commented on the Dukes' arrival:
We are thrilled to welcome James
Madison University to the Sun Belt Conference. 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. 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.
The CAA is a Division I conference in
most sports, so it'll be a lateral transition for most of the men's
and women's programs at James Madison, which is located in Virginia, and an elevation for the football
program.
JMU football has reached the FCS National
Championship Game in three of the past five years, highlighted by a
national title in 2016.
The Dukes own a 7-1 record this season, and the announcement of their future move to the Sun Belt comes as
part of homecoming weekend. They'll face Campbell at 3:30 p.m. ET on
Saturday.
In all, James Madison is home to 18
varsity sports programs that will join the Sun Belt.
