James Madison leaving Sun Belt Conference for American Conference in 2028

IRVING, Texas (AP) — James Madison is leaving the Sun Belt Conference for the American Conference in 2028.

James Madison’s board of directors voted unanimously Monday to make the move no later than July 1, 2028.

The Dukes will compete in the American Conference in 17 of the 18 sports the school sponsors, with women’s field hockey remaining in the Mid-American Conference.

“The American Conference is a destination, and James Madison University represents everything we value and strengthens our membership,” American Commissioner Tim Pernetti said in a statement. “The Dukes have rapidly built a nationally recognized brand through a culture of innovation, investment, bold leadership and competitive success. JMU’s trajectory aligns with who we are and where we are going.”

JMU transitioned from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision in 2022 and its football team became a full FBS member after a two-year transition period. The Dukes won the Sun Belt championship and earned the Group of Five berth into the 12-team College Football Playoff last season, losing to Oregon 51-34 in their first playoff game.

Curt Cignetti led JMU to a 19-4 record over two seasons before leaving for Indiana, where he took the Hoosiers to their first national championship a year ago.

The Dukes are 6-0 this season under former Florida coach Billy Napier.

The addition of James Madison will give the American Conference 14 full members in football. The Sun Belt currently has 14 football-playing members.

“With James Madison’s recent announcement of its planned departure, the conference leadership will examine and evaluate all opportunities as it continues its work to ensure the sustained rise of the Sun Belt Conference — the premier FBS non-autonomy conference in the country,” the Sun Belt said in a statement.

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