James Madison's Board of Visitors on Monday voted to leave the Sun Belt for the American Athletic Conference, effective July 1, 2028. It was reported late last month that Miami (Ohio), JMU and UConn have contacted the AAC about potential membership.
The move continues JMU's fast rise up the college football world.
Founded in 1972, the Dukes have yet to employ a coach who left the program with a losing record. Starting as a Division III school, James Madison joined Division II in 1979, FCS (then I-AA) in 1980, and FBS in 2022. The school won two FCS national championships and has experienced nothing but success at the FBS level. The Dukes would've played for the Sun Belt title in 2022 and 2023 if eligible under head coach Curt Cignetti, and then in 2025 won the conference and reached the College Football Playoff under Bob Chesney.
The 2026 team is off to a 6-0 start (3-0 Sun Belt) under first-year head coach Billy Napier.
"The American Conference is the right home for James Madison University, academically, competitively, and geographically. This conference is where our academic peers compete, they have a shared vision for the future, it's where our alumni live and work, and where our student-athletes will thrive," said JMU board president Dave Rexrode. According to The Athletic, the Sun Belt had planned to vote this week to raise its exit fees beyond the $5 million Texas State paid to join the Pac-12.
Located in Harrisonburg, Va., JMU is a public research school with more than 20,000 undergraduates.
JMU is the 15th American member (for now), and would be a natural member in an East Division, should the conference wish to establish one.
Launched as a division-less 10-member conference in 2013 (including UConn, now a football independent), the American split into divisions upon growing to 12 in 2015, but then abandoned divisions after shrinking to 11 members in 2020. In addition to joining a higher-prestige conference, James Madison will be driving distance from multiple new conference mates: Army, Navy, Temple, East Carolina, and Charlotte.
Currently, the Sun Belt is the only FBS conference still utilizing divisions. The league can still maintain that split as a 13-member conference, but the laws of realignment suggest Conference USA schools -- particularly Liberty, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee -- figure to be Next Man Up to replace JMU.
"The American is home to member institutions who share our ambitious academic goals and our unwavering commitment to student success. Our student-athletes will compete in cities where JMU alumni are already rooted and future Dukes will fill the stands. With this move, we carry deep appreciation for the Sun Belt Conference and its member institutions. Their partnership helped position JMU for this moment, and we are proud of everything we built together," said James Madison president James Schmidt.