James Madison will leave the Sun Belt Conference and join the American Conference no later than July 1, 2028, the school announced Monday after its application was accepted. The move caps a run that has made the Dukes one of the most successful Group of Six football programs in the country.
The James Madison Board of Visitors voted unanimously to authorize the school to apply for and accept membership in the American, according to Yahoo Sports.
The Main Development
James Madison president James Schmidt said the American fits the university on multiple levels. “The American is home to member institutions who share our ambitious academic goals and our unwavering commitment to student success,” Schmidt said. “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.”
Dave Rexrode, Rector of the James Madison University Board of Visitors, said the board’s vote was unanimous and enthusiastic. “The Board of Visitors voted unanimously to authorize the university to apply for and accept an invitation for membership in the American Conference, and we did so with tremendous confidence and excitement for this university’s future,” Rexrode said. “The American Conference is the right home for James Madison University, academically, competitively, and geographically.” He added that “as Rector of this board and as a proud JMU alumnus, I have never been more excited about the future of this university.”
James Madison has already held affiliate status in the American for lacrosse since 2022, winning the conference’s last two titles in that sport, and for swimming and diving since last year. The rest of the school’s athletic programs, including football, will complete the move to the American by the 2028-29 school year.
What It Means For James Madison And The American
James Madison’s admission brings the American Conference to 15 schools in football. Miami (Ohio) and UConn were also under consideration for membership. UConn, one of two independent FBS football programs, wants to join the American as a full member in every sport except basketball, where it prefers to stay in the Big East. If the American adds a 16th football member, it would match the Big 12 and SEC for the most football-playing schools among the major conferences.
The move follows a stretch in which James Madison compiled a 46-11 record at the FBS level since jumping from the FCS ranks in 2022, including a 28-7 mark in Sun Belt play. The Dukes have not lost a conference game since a double-overtime defeat to Marshall on Nov. 30, 2024, and they are 25-7 in conference play overall with a 6-0 record this season. James Madison enters its new conference home as the reigning Sun Belt champion.
Program Context
James Madison’s rise culminated in an undefeated regular season in 2025 that produced the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance, making it the first Sun Belt team to reach the CFP. That success came even as James Madison lost two head coaches to Big Ten jobs in recent years, Curt Cignetti and Bob Chesney. The Dukes enter the 2026 season under new head coach Billy Napier.
What’s Next
James Madison’s full membership in the American Conference takes effect no later than July 1, 2028, with the school’s other athletic programs completing the transition by the 2028-29 school year. The Dukes continue the 2026 season at 6-0 in Sun Belt play as the league’s defending champion.
For more on this story, see Total Apex Sports’ James Madison Dukes coverage.
Additional reporting via the American Conference’s official site.
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