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James Madison has been a great college football story, posting a 10-1 overall record in just its second season at the FBS level. Given that success, paired with a silly NCAA rule, JMU had threatened a lawsuit in order to gain postseason eligibility.
Things apparently changed after the Dukes’ first loss of the year, though. It seems the school is now delaying its legal action.
Statement from JMU on the delay of the lawsuit. My story is being edited. It’s my understanding nothing changed in terms of the Attorney General’s enthusiasm for the case. pic.twitter.com/3ellDxYjmx
— Shane Mettlen (@Shane_DNRSports) November 22, 2023
The original threat stemmed from the NCAA rule that says teams transitioning to the FBS won’t be bowl eligible for two seasons. In most cases, it’s not an issue as rosters don’t have the talent or depth to immediately compete with the increased level of competition.
That wasn’t the case for James Madison.
The Dukes won eight games in 2022, its first year in the FBS, but weren’t able to compete in the postseason. The 2023 campaign has been even better, with JMU in contention to be one of the nation’s top Group of Five teams.
The top ranked G5 program lands a New Year’s Six bowl appearance that comes with a nice payout.
Tulane took that spot last year and went on to knock off USC in the Cotton Bowl.
James Madison had hoped for a similar outcome, which helped explain its continuous push to gain an exemption. The NCAA denied JMU’s waiver to gain eligibility, leading to the threat of that lawsuit.
Unfortunately, the Dukes fell when the lights were brightest. App State came into Harrisonburg with College GameDay in attendance and took down James Madison in overtime.
Shortly after the team’s first loss, the university delayed suing. It sparked an immediate reaction from fans online.
“This was never about the kids; it was a money grab.”
“I love JMU. Love the athletic program. But did they just scream on national TV about deserving immediate bowl eligibility, watch as the state’s Attorney General threatened the NCAA with a lawsuit, eat a home loss, and then back off the lawsuit? PR disaster.”
An interesting case still stands for JMU as a team. The Dukes can still win their conference with a victory in the season finale. They are currently banned from conference championship game contention due to that NCAA rule.
And while a NY6 bowl is likely out of the picture, with 10 (or 11) wins, a notable postseason appearance is still in the cards. We’ll wait and see the school’s next move.