What James Madison Athletics Accomplished That No Other G5 Department Did in 2024

Joe Londergan | May 28, 2024

Sept 9, 2023; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; James Madison Dukes mascot Duke Dog cheers on his team against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first second at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Hannah Pajewski-USA TODAY Sports / Hannah Pajewski-USA TODAY Sports

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James Madison Dukes

James Madison's move to the Sun Belt Conference and the FBS level of football competition that began prior to the 2022 football season has gone exceptionally well.

This week James Madison's baseball team reached the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid to the Raleigh regional.

In the 2023-2024 academic year, just 12 athletic departments sent a team to an FBS bowl game, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and the NCAA Baseball tournament. James Madison is the only department from a non-power conference to earn that distinction.

The other schools that will have participated in those three postseason events by the end of the academic year are Alabama, Arizona, Clemson, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, NC State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M.

JMU baseball has a 34-23 record to this point after being eliminated in the Sun Belt Conference championship this past week. They open NCAA tournament play on Friday, May 31, at 2 PM ET against South Carolina.

In the men's basketball season, JMU compiled a 32-4 record on the 2023-2024 campaign. They lost to Duke in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

In football, the Dukes posted an 11-2 record in their second season in the Sun Belt. They received a waiver to participate in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at the end of the season, despite initially not being allowed to participate due to the NCAA's FCS transition rules. They lost to Air Force 31-21 in that bowl game

James Madison's 2024 football season begins on August 31 at Charlotte.

Published May 28, 2024

JOE LONDERGAN

Joe covers college sports from the Group of Five ranks and beyond. He has worked in the sports industry since 2008, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master's degree from Seattle University.