James Madison clears final hurdle in move to FBS, Sun Belt Conference

Jami Frankenberry, The Virginian-Pilot
·1 min read

James Madison University has cleared its final hurdle in a bid to move to the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Sun Belt Conference, and the Dukes got an assist from a former rival on Friday.

JMU’s move up from the Football Championship Subdivision was unanimously approved by the Virginia General Assembly’s Intercollegiate Athletic Review Commission on Friday morning. That approval — required by state law — was the last step in making JMU’s ascent official.

On Friday, Old Dominion president Brian Hemphill was among the speakers in support of JMU’s move.

“A lot of due diligence, time and energy has gone into the information before you today,” Hemphill told the committee according to the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record.

JMU released a Joint statement from JMU president Jonathan Alger and athletic director Jeff Bourne following Friday’s presentation:

“We have been detailed and thorough in following the scripted process to consider opportunities with the Sun Belt Conference. We are glad to have this key component completed, and we appreciate the assistance of the Commonwealth’s Intercollegiate Athletics Review Commission today. We are excited about the next step for the future of James Madison University and our intercollegiate athletics program.”

Old Dominion, a former rival of JMU while both were members of the Colonial Athletic Association, made the move to FBS in 2014. ODU announced last week the school was moving to the Sun Belt Conference.

This is a developing story.