James Madison has sent a letter to the NCAA Board of Directors requesting the organization allow the Dukes to be eligible for postseason competition. In the, letter obtained by multiple outlets, JMU points to its overall success in the Sun Belt and strong scholarship funding levels as extenuating circumstances.
The Dukes have put together one of the greatest transitional runs in NCAA history, posting a 17-3 record in their first 20 games as an FBS member. JMU sits at 9-0 in 2023 and ranks No. 21 in the AP Top 25, the second-best ranking in the nation for a Group of Five team. But thanks to NCAA transition rules which make an FCS-to-FBS transitioning team ineligible for the postseason in their first two seasons, the Dukes are unable to play for a Sun Belt title or appear in the College Football Playoff Rankings.
"JMU presents a unique set of factors in making this request for relief," the letter reads. "No other school has gone above and beyond the transition requirements in all the ways we have. This request is specific, unique, and consistent with the principles of student-athlete welfare espoused by the NCAA."
The letter https://t.co/aQT4LgJP1X pic.twitter.com/OlmQqlOFWk
— Shane Mettlen (@Shane_DNRSports) November 7, 2023
James Madison previously applied for a waiver to shorten its FBS transition from two years to one after the Dukes went 8-3 in their first FBS season under coach Curt Cignetti. The waiver was ultimately denied.
Said the NCAA in a statement to The Athletic: "The NCAA has received a waiver request from James Madison and the request will be considered by the appropriate membership committees in a timely manner."
In their letter, the school's administration points to amended requirements for FBS participation that include a higher minimum scholarship requirement and at least $6 million in annual spending. The Dukes have reached that threshold in each of their two seasons as an FBS program.
James Madison athletic director Jeffrey Bourne acknowledged that getting relief from the NCAA on such a short time frame is hard to project. However, he also acknowledged the case of North Carolina wide receiver Tez Walker, where providing further information and national attention to the issue ultimately led to Walker being declared eligible one month into the season.
"It's very, very difficult in this current environment to anticipate what kind of relief would be provided by the NCAA," Bourne said. "Our goal with this is to put our best foot forward and to cite what we feel are defensible, solid points of contention where we feel like JMU is already ready for this opportunity."
If the NCAA were to act, it would shake up the Group of Five season. James Madison would immediately become the frontrunner to win the Sun Belt as the only undefeated remaining. Additionally, the Dukes would be in contention with Tulane as the potential Group of Five representative in a New Year's Six bowl.
The Sun Belt has agreed that if James Madison was declared eligible for the postseason by the NCAA that the conference would allow the team to participate in its conference championship game. Bourne said that he believes the conference does not want to crown a champion that would be ineligible to compete for the New Year's Six bowl selection.
Despite being ineligible, James Madison is prepared for the possibility of hosting the Sun Belt Championship Game on short notice. The game is played on-campus at the higher-rated conference title game finalist. If the NCAA changed its verdict, James Madison would be prepared.
"Here's where I am: We've become kind of America's team because our situation doesn't make sense to people," Cignetti told SiriusXM College Sports Radio. "It doesn't make common sense... we're the first team ever to go right to 85 scholarships and play an FBS schedule in Year 1. That's why the waiver should have won. I doubt they looked at it very hard."
James Madison sits at 9-0 with games remaining against UConn, Appalachian State and on the road against Coastal Carolina. The Dukes host the Huskies on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
