James Madison sent a letter to the NCAA Board of Directors on Monday requesting relief from NCAA legislation to allow full eligibility for the Dukes, who are 9-0 this season and 17-3 since that they joined the Football Bowl Subdivision. Here’s what you need to know:
- JMU is not eligible for a bowl game as a second-year FCS transition team, unless there are not enough 6-6 teams. Same goes for 7-3 Jacksonville State.
- The NCAA imposes postseason bans on teams that advance in divisions or rankings in order to deter too many teams from advancing.
- The Dukes are the second-highest ranked Group of 5 team in the AP and Coaches polls, but are not eligible for the College Football Playoff rankings.
- JMU requested a one-year transition waiver in the spring, but it was denied.
- The Sun Belt Conference also sent a letter to the board on behalf of JMU, a league source said..
James Madison sent a letter to the NCAA Board of Directors requesting full bowl eligibility.
The 9-0 Dukes are not eligible as a second-year transitional FBS team (unless there aren’t enough 6-6 teams). pic.twitter.com/dbUxzjCXFM
– Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) November 7, 2023
Is this a surprise?
The attention and pressure on this increases each week, and JMU continues its undefeated season. Virginia’s attorney general sent a letter to the NCAA a few weeks ago defending the Dukes, but it was largely rejected by NCAA President Charlie Baker, who explained that it was up to the board. Local politicians have also made subtle threats to the NCAA regarding possible legal action (Tuesday is Election Day in Virginia).
The undefeated nature of JMU’s season put more emphasis on this point. This might not be such a hot topic if the Dukes were 7-2. For example, Jax State hasn’t gotten a lot of attention. But because JMU is undefeated and appears to be the best Group of 5 team in the country, there will be pressure on the board to reconsider its decision. Whatever the reason for this rule, if an undefeated team that has proven they belong at that level is excluded due to bureaucracy and technicalities, the sport is going to be tough. — Chris Vannini, senior college football writer
Will this actually work?
The NCAA has always been a popular punching bag, but we have seen more forceful reactions to its decisions and policies in recent years. This fall, in particular, has been defined by the public relations campaigns run by schools such as UNC (related to the Tez Walker transfer waiver denial) and now JMU.
It’s not entirely clear how effective public pressure is in situations like this in getting the NCAA to change course – the organization ultimately ruled Walker eligible but cited new informationnot a re-examination of its rules – but that will surely generate more sympathy for the Dukes anyway. — Nicole Auerbach, senior college football writer
GO FURTHER
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Pass
In the midst of a massive conference realignment in 2021, James Madison joined the Sun Belt and did so almost immediately, beginning play in the fall of 2022. Because the Dukes began this two-year process at level FBS instead of FCS like most transitioning teams, the school was hoping he could get a waiver to make a one-year transition. JMU went 8-3 in its first season and technically won the East Division, boosting hopes for full eligibility in 2023. (Sun Belt policy does not allow non-playoff eligible teams to play for the championship conference.)
However, the waiver request was denied by the NCAA Board of Directors in the spring. The school said it accepted the decision. A person familiar with the council’s refusal to waive said Athleticism that the group simply didn’t want to set a precedent. In 2014, South Georgia went undefeated in Sun Belt play but was unable to play in a bowl game. The situation has also occurred several times in basketball. Fairleigh Dickinson made its NCAA men’s basketball tournament this year only because conference champion Merrimack was ineligible as a former Division II school transitioning to Division I. That jump includes a transition period of four years, instead of two like the FCS to FBS. move.
The NCAA put these postseason eligibility rules in place to give schools time to make necessary financial and infrastructural improvements and also to deter schools that are not ready. But JMU already had a budget and infrastructure in place across most sports. It was one of the best football programs in the FCS and hasn’t had a losing season since 2001. Their immediate success in the Sun Belt proved that. — Vannini
What they say
“Our university has embarked on this transition like no other institution has since the transition rules changed 23 years ago; and our student-athletes have achieved an astonishing and unprecedented level of success during this period,” reads the letter from JMU, signed by the president, athletic director and rector of the board of trustees of the school. “Relief that allows our student-athletes to participate in a bowl game, as their game has earned, is warranted. »
The letter goes on to say: “The relief is justified for the well-being of student-athletes. Members recognize participation in the postseason as a fundamental part of the student-athlete experience. If relief were provided, our student-athletes would potentially have the rare opportunity to compete in a prestigious New Year’s Six bowl contest. Our team includes cohorts of students who have navigated COVID disruptions, missed out on deserved opportunities last year and who face uncertain prospects of playing in the postseason again this year despite their sustained excellence. Playoff participation is a reward for success on the field and is a special, high-level development opportunity.
Required reading
(Photo: Lee Coleman/Icon Sportswire via Getty)
