JMU Football Will Play in a Bowl Game

Football 17 comments

Image courtesy of JMU Athletics Communications

By Bennett Conlin

JMU football blew out Coastal Carolina 56-14 on Saturday, and the Dukes will take the field one more time this fall.

JMU football will be selected for a bowl game this year, the second year of its FBS transition. While JMU didn’t enter the year eligible for a bowl game, NCAA rules allow for second-year transitioning teams to make a bowl game if there aren’t enough 6-6 teams.

After Saturday’s results, there’s a shortage of 6-6 teams, and JMU and Jacksonville State are both reportedly going to fill bowl slots.

The Dukes, who are 11-1, will have a chance to finish the season with a 12-1 record. They’ll be one of 12 Sun Belt teams in bowl games. Every team in the Sun Belt East qualified for a bowl game.

Bowl matchups will be revealed on Dec. 3.

17 comments

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    1. The only reason JMU is going to get to play is because other teams failed. They signed an agreement with the NCAA just waiting to cry foul when it was a benefit to them. The NCAA could have just as easily given one of the six win teams a exception to a bowl game but let JMU in just to shut them up.

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      1. Not really. There aren’t enough 6 win teams to fill all of the bowl game slots. That’s why JMU, and Jacksonville St, received bids. There is also at least one 5-7 team going (Minnesota).

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      2. Best team in the Sun Belt! Shut your mouth. JMU hate is getting old. This is a great conference, and ur a poor loser. How is ur BB team doing.

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      4. Mike you are correct. JMU signed a contract. But, that contract basically had a bogus waiver clause. If you did your homework, you would learn JMU met or exceeded the criteria for a waiver. Moreover, at the time previous SBC transitioning teams, APP ST for instance, were in the transition period, they could compete for the conference championship. Then NCAA changed the criteria on that. Nonsensical. What makes less sense is you advocate for a 5-7 team to go bowling.

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      6. But they gave it to a team whose record deserves to be there. Thanks for your comment. Maybe your team should do better next year so they can qualify?

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      7. Just admit it is a stupid rule and kudos to JMU for helping expose it! Time for that precedent to change.

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  5. JMU should be in a bowl game if for no other reason than to see and here it’s magnificent BAND, which is continually consistent throughout the years. GO DUKES!!!!

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    1. My grandson was in the marching band during his years at JMU. They marched and performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 2018.

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  6. They need to be in a decent bowl against a quality opponent. Sports AD needs to do some heavy lobbying to get them a Gator Bowl bid or similar other quality bowl. Projections have them playing Arkansas State in Alabama (forget about it).

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  7. The NCAA’s rationale for not allowing post season play is to protect the team transitioning from FCS to FBS. If so, why is it ok for JMU to now be able to play after the NCAA determines there are not enough bowl-eligible FBS teams? Seems like the NCAA is protecting the FBS and the bowls, not the Dukes. The Dukes don’t need to be protected. They will “leave no doubt” in post season play.

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  8. I’m happy for JMU, but I would rather watch FCS playoffs. There is too much hype and too many cry babies in the FBS.

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