NCAA denies postseason eligibility waiver for James Madison, Dukes must hope for dearth of bowl-eligible teams

NCAA Division I Board Administration Committee denied postseason eligibility waivers for James Madison, Jacksonville State and Tarelton State Wednesday. Most particularly, James Madison sits at 10-0 at the season with a 6-0 file within the Sun Belt Conference. 

“We’re obviously disappointed in the outcome of the NCAA’s review of our request for bowl relief,” JMU stated in a commentary. “We’re saddened for our university community and, in particular, we’re devastated for our football program, the coaches and student-athletes who have orchestrated an amazing season and earned the opportunity.

“As we flip the web page, we’ve got an improbable week covered up with College GameDay right here and our ultimate house sport, so we are taken with maximizing those moments for our college and celebrating our senior elegance.”

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 10-0 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. 

Earlier his month, JMU despatched a letter to the NCAA Board of Directors asking the group to believe the Dukes for postseason pageant. In the letter, JMU pointed to its general good fortune within the Sun Belt and powerful scholarship investment ranges as extenuating instances. 

Both JMU and Jacksonville State may nonetheless get to a bowl sport, equipped there don’t seem to be sufficient teams to fill the 82 slots throughout 41 bowls. 

James Madison in the past implemented for a waiver to shorten its FBS transition from two years to 1 after the Dukes went 8-3 of their first FBS season below trainer Curt Cignetti. That waiver was once additionally denied.

Jacksonville State is within the first of its two-year transition window to FBS. Tarelton State is making the transfer from Division II to FCS.