James Madison is leaving the Sun Belt Conference to join the American as a full member no later than July 1, 2028, the school announced Monday.
James Madison is a significant addition to the American Conference after becoming the first Sun Belt team to make the College Football Playoff last year. Moving to the American should provide the Dukes an easier path to the playoff in subsequent years, considering the conference consistently has teams ranked among the best in the Group of 6.
The Dukes already compete in the American in lacrosse and have won the last two conference titles. They're now set to become the conference's 13th full member.
The football program's rise has been one of the most impressive in the sport over the past few years. Since moving to FBS ahead of the 2022 season, the Dukes have posted a 46-11 overall record.
One crucial aspect of James Madison's success has been the school's ability to identify elite coaches. Indiana boss Curt Cignetti led the Dukes from 2019-23 in what became his first head coaching job at the FBS level. Last year, Bob Chesney guided them to a CFP appearance before taking the head coaching position at UCLA, where he's now a perfect 5-0 in his first season with the Bruins.
