James Madison, at the moment, is mostly known as the school that gave the Power Four college football world Curt Cignetti, and more recently Bob Chesney.
But for those willing to look beyond the superficial, the Dukes have assembled one of college football's most impressively run programs. Now, Billy Napier looks back at home in the Group of Six after a solid stint with Louisiana-Lafayette and struggles at Florida. And James Madison has a shot, however long it may be, at a second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance.
Regardless of the result this season, James Madison has shown it has a pedigree of success. Since moving to the Bowl Subdivision, it has made a bowl in every year it's been eligible (there was a one-year bowl ban for new
FBS teams), and it has a solid chance to win out this season.
While outside forces - the existence of Boise State in the Pac-12, specifically - may keep the Dukes out of the playoff, they've shown they're a force to be reckoned with.
Their meteoric rise isn't stopping with being an FBS team. James Madison will be moving from the Sun Belt to the American Conference by the summer of 2028, which combined with the expected expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, will only help its resume when the committee kicks into high gear.
So how did James Madison become a Group of Six juggernaut? Will its winning ways continue as it makes another jump? Here's what to know about a Dukes team hoping to backdoor its way into the CFP for the second straight season.
Curt Cignetti record at James Madison
James Madison couldn't have asked for a better coach to steward its transition.
Curt Cignetti had been with the Dukes since 2019, making it to the FCS championship game in his first season and the semifinals in his next two. He inherited a program that was used to winning, with coaches Mickey Matthews, Everett Withers and Mike Houston preceding him.
When James Madison made the jump to the Sun Belt, it went 8-3 in his first season, but was ineligible for a bowl game due to the rules for transitioning programs. The next season, Cignetti and James Madison went 11-2 before Cignetti was hired away by Indiana.
- Curt Cignetti FCS record with James Madison: 33-5 (18-1 CAA)
- Curt Cignetti FBS record with James Madison: 19-5 (13-3 Sun Belt)
- Curt Cignetti overall record at James Madison: 52-10 (31-4 over two conferences)
Bob Chesney record at James Madison
After Cignetti moved on, Bob Chesney arrived from Holy Cross.
Chesney and James Madison were a perfect marriage, in a lot of ways. He had a record of success (111-46 combined with Salve Regina, Assumption, Holy Cross), and he was joining a program that was used to winning itself. While some programs flounder when they lose their star coach, Chesney and James Madison thrived together. While the Sun Belt schedule was less than friendly in Chesney's first year — he went 4-4 in conference and finished 9-4 overall — he bounced back and beat Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl. The next year, James Madison snuck its way into the College Football Playoff behind a 12-1 record before losing in the first round to Oregon.
- Bob Chesney record with James Madison: 13-6 (12-4 in Sun Belt)
Can James Madison make the playoff this year?
Even with all of this success, James Madison's path to playoff this season is not overly friendly. And it's blocked by a big horse — Broncos, specifically.
Assuming the Group of Six is in a one-bid situation again, Boise State is currently in the driver's seat for non-power teams. The Broncos upended a good Western Michigan team and played Oregon down to the wire, and the Dukes will be hard-pressed to make a compelling playoff argument with their lack of schedule strength.
However, the Dukes are making a strong push and, like last year, they can't be ruled out of the conversation. If Boise State loses against this year — or even loses the Pac-12 championship game — James Madison's prospects will heat up.
James Madison American Conference jump
The Dukes, next season, might see themselves in the CFP conversation a bit more perennially.
James Madison is poised to jump to the American Conference, which is consistently the strongest Group of Six league. This year, it's Texas-San Antonio and North Texas leading the way, and Army and Memphis are also in the mix. Tulane is having a down year, but is another team that will help arguments down the line.
With CFP expansion also in line, James Madison will find itself in an interesting spot. The other interesting factor is Napier: After the last two coaches were scooped up quickly, Napier may have a bit more of a prove-it period with James Madison. He's off to a scorching hot start, 7-0, but his tenure at Florida will likely make teams more wary.
Of course, with how good James Madison has been, it may be moot even if he does leave. There's seemingly always someone waiting in the wings.
All that the team has to do is continue to win.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How James Madison football stays in CFP race with American Conference jump looming
