The James Madison Dukes are heading to a new conference once again.
After joining the Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the Sun Belt Conference in 2022, news came out on Monday morningthat the Dukes voted to terminate their contractwith that league and will now accept an invitation to the American Conference, which will begin no later than July 1, 2028.
The American Conference "full" membership includes 13 institutions: Alabama-Birmingham, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, North Texas, Rice, South Florida, Temple, Texas-San Antonio, Tulane, Tulsa and Wichita State. In football, the conference also includes Army and Navy, while Wichita State does not sponsor football.
There have also been reports that Miami (OH) is considering
a move to the American Conference as well.
A move to the American makes sense for James Madison, as the conference has proven to be home to several established brands that recently jumped to the Power Four level, including Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF to the Big 12, and SMU to the ACC.
James Madison went 12-2 in 2025 with a berth in the College Football Playoff under former head coach Bob Chesney, eventually losing to the Oregon Ducks in the first round of the postseason.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: James Madison votes to terminate contract with Sun Belt Conference
