NCAA Division I Board Administration Committee denied postseason eligibility waivers for James Madison, Jacksonville State and Tarelton State Wednesday. Most notably, James Madison sits at 10-0 on the season with a 6-0 record in the Sun Belt Conference.
“We’re obviously disappointed in the outcome of the NCAA’s review of our request for bowl relief,” JMU said in a statement. “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 turn the page, we have an incredible week lined up with College GameDay here and our final home game, so we’re focused on maximizing these moments for our university and celebrating our senior class.”
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 sent a letter to the NCAA Board of Directors asking the organization to consider the Dukes for postseason competition. In the letter, JMU pointed to its overall success in the Sun Belt and strong scholarship funding levels as extenuating circumstances.
Both JMU and Jacksonville State could still get to a bowl game, provided there aren’t enough teams to fill the 82 slots across 41 bowls.
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. That waiver was also denied.
Jacksonville State is in the first of its two-year transition window to FBS. Tarelton State is making the move from Division II to FCS.
