James Madison to leave Sun Belt Conference for the American by 2028

James Madison University will leave the Sun Belt Conference and join the American Conference as a full member no later than 1 July 2028, the university announced on Monday.

The decision follows a vote by JMU's Board of Visitors to end its contractual ties with the Sun Belt. The Dukes will now prepare to transition their entire athletics department into the American, where the school already competes as an affiliate member in women's lacrosse, as well as swimming and diving.

"The American is home to member institutions who share our ambitious academic goals and our unwavering commitment to student success," JMU president James Schmidt said in a statement. "Our student-athletes will compete in cities where JMU alumni are already rooted and future Dukes will fill the stands. With this move, we carry deep appreciation for the Sun Belt Conference and its member institutions. Their partnership helped position JMU for this moment, and we are proud of everything we built together."

Rapid ascent on the national stage

The move caps a sharp upward trajectory for the Virginia school. JMU only stepped up from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2022, yet quickly established itself as one of the most competitive programmes outside the autonomous conferences.

Over four-plus seasons in the FBS, the Dukes have compiled a 46-11 overall record and gone 28-7 in Sun Belt competition. In 2025, JMU finished the regular season unbeaten, earning a berth in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff and becoming the first Sun Belt representative to reach the field.

That winning run has held steady despite repeated turnover on the sideline. Curt Cignetti and Bob Chesney both departed Harrisonburg in succession to take over Big Ten programmes, yet the team has not stalled. Under head coach Billy Napier, James Madison has opened the 2026 season with six consecutive victories.

What the move means for the American

For the American Conference, securing James Madison adds the pre-eminent Group of Six football team of recent autumns to its ranks. The addition will bring the league to 15 football programmes, combining 13 full members with football-only service academies Army and Navy.

An odd tally of 15 members presents clear scheduling puzzles, though the league has not announced any immediate plans to recruit a sixteenth school. With the transition window stretching toward 2028, conference officials have time to evaluate whether further expansion makes sense, or whether the current alignment will stand.

Beyond football, the shift relocates all remaining JMU sports into the American by the 2028–29 academic year. The university's women's lacrosse programme has already won the past two American tournament championships as an affiliate, offering a preview of the competitive footing JMU expects to maintain across the board.