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James Madison’s tenure in the Sun Belt will be short-lived. The Dukes jumped from the CAA to the SBC four years ago.
Now, JMU is heading to the American no later than July 1, 2028, as announced on Monday.
So, is this a good move?
According to the James Madison release, the decision for the school was based on six ”primary areas”:
- institutional and academic alignment
- competitive strength and trajectory
- institutional investment
- financial sustainability and member value
- brand, media value, fan engagement
- geography and operational fit.
The American has 13 full-member institutions: UAB, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, North Texas, Rice, South Florida, Temple, UTSA, Tulane, Tulsa and Wichita State. While the Shockers don’t have football, the conference also has Army and Navy for football.
“We’re ecstatic for James Madison to take the next step in our university’s growth by joining the American Conference,” JMU Director of Athletics Matt Roan said. “We work every day to best position our athletics program for excellence, and today’s announcement is the next step in our strategic elevation.”
The Dukes already have some ties to the American as the women’s lacrosse team joined in 2022 and the swimming and diving program made the move for the 2025-26 season.
The timing of the move is interesting. Front Office Sports reported on Sept. 25 that the American was “not proactively seeking” new members.
Less than three weeks later, the Dukes are joining. The Sun Belt is looking into raising its exit fees, which helped to speed up JMU’s departure, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
James Madison will pay $5 million to leave the Sun Belt, which is the same amount Texas State paid when it bolted for the new Pac-12. JMU will also pay a $23 million-entrance fee to the American. Both totals are privately funded.
JMU’s men’s basketball team has made one NCAA Tournament since joining the Sun Belt, when Mark Byington (now at Vanderbilt) took the team dancing in 2024, his last year with the program.
The Dukes’ women’s basketball team has gone to the NCAA Tournament in two of its four years so far in the Sun Belt. They have gone 58-14 in the conference, including a perfect 18-0 in 2024-25.
