Unbeaten No. 21 James Madison writes NCAA seeking remediation for two-year bowl ban

Updated Nov. 7, 2023 5:50 p.m. ET

Associated Press

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — James Madison, in its second year of transitioning from the Bowl Subdivision to the Championship Subdivision, has written to the NCAA asking that the rule preventing the Dukes from participating in a bowl game be changed.

In a letter, signed by president Jonathan Alger, Rector Maribeth Herod and athletic director Jeffrey Bourne, the school noted that the No. 21 Dukes (9-0) are one of seven FBS programs that are unbeaten this season and highlighted that their academic achievement mirrors that of its football team.

In the letter, James Madison also noted that while its previous request for a waiver was denied, it has met all the conditions set forth by the NCAA for the transition and suggests that the school has gone “above and beyond” recommended particulars and that the request is a matter of “student welfare.”

It describes the postseason experience as a “fundamental element” of the student-athlete experience and suggests that Dukes football players could have the opportunity to play in a New Year's Day bowl without the rule.

James Madison last season was not eligible for a bowl game or the Sun Belt Conference championship even after beating East Division champion Coastal Carolina 47-7 in the regular season finale to finish tied with the Chanticleers.

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