![]() ![]() 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. Liberty and New Mexico State are each independent in football, while Jacksonville State and Sam Houston compete at the FCS level.The Sun Belt Conference announced Saturday the addition of James Madison University into the league after a unanimous vote of the Sun Belt CEOs. In that scenario, Conference USA would still need at least one more addition over the next two years to reach the NCAA-mandated minimum of eight schools for FBS leagues. If the Hilltoppers and Blue Raiders depart, the league's total would stand at seven members, with existing members FIU, Louisiana Tech and UTEP combining with the four new members. It is also "probable" that the beleaguered conference will lose Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee to the MAC, sources told CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd. We have been deliberate in our efforts for the past few weeks to get us to this point and will continue to evaluate and consider our additional options for membership."Ĭharlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA are each leaving Conference USA for the AAC, while Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss are moving to the Sun Belt. "This is a quality mix of established and emerging universities that provides us with a compelling group to continue to build with, focusing on competing for and winning championships well into the future. "We are incredibly excited about adding these four new members and feel there is tremendous upside in these moves for our conference," Conference USA commissioner Judy MacLeod said in a release. The addition of the four new schools, who will join the league on July 1, 2023, follows a chaotic shift in the conference structure that left the league with just five members with more realignment imminent. ![]() ![]() Conference USA announced the addition of four new members on Friday, adding Liberty, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston to help stabilize the league amid the latest wave of conference realignment. ![]()
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