JMU to NCAA: Players earned bowl game chance

• Mark Schlabach, ESPN

  • Elder WriterNov 7, 2023, 11:00 AM ET Close Senior college football author Author of seven books on college football
  • Graduate of the University of Georgia

James Madison officials made another plea to the NCAA Division I board of directors Monday to reduce its football program’s FCS to FBS shift from 2 years to one, so the undefeated Dukes can be eligible to contend in a postseason bowl game this season.In a letter to

NCAA Division I board of directors chairman Jere Morehead, the University of Georgia president, JMU president Jonathan Alger and athletic director Jeff Bourne argued the Dukes have actually “started this shift in manner ins which no other organization has since the transition guidelines altered 23 years ago” and that their “student-athletes have actually accomplished an impressive, unmatched level of success during this period.”

“Relief that allows our student-athletes to participate in a bowl game, as their play has actually made, is necessitated,” the JMU officials composed.

“Our student-athletes have done whatever the right way, and they see the postseason prohibition in this circumstances as inexplicable punishment due to the NCAA’s stated concerns. As many analysts have kept in mind, this is a chance for the NCAA to do the best thing for our student-athletes and acknowledge their exceptional efforts on and off the field.”

Under NCAA guidelines, groups making the transition from the FCS to FBS are disqualified for the postseason the very first 2 years. On April 27, the NCAA denied the school’s interest complete the two-year shift in just one year.James Madison was the first school to appeal the two-year period. Tight end Zach Horton and JMU get past Georgia State to go 9-0 on the season and lead the Sun Belt Conference in the Dukes’ 2nd season in FBS. AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr.

“The NCAA has received a waiver request from James Madison and the request will be thought about by the suitable membership committees in a timely manner,” the NCAA said in a statement Tuesday.Waivers of membership

demands must be sent to numerous NCAA groups before the board of governors can decide, consisting of the tactical vision and preparation committee, FBS oversight committee, council coordination committee and Division I board advertisement committee, which is a subgroup of the Division I board of directors.During a video conference with reporters Tuesday,

Bourne stated the Sun Belt Conference sent out a letter to the NCAA in assistance of the Dukes’ waiver. Bourne also stated the league would enable JMU to compete in the Sun Belt Conference championship game if the NCAA grants it a postseason waiver. “[ The Sun Belt]

already concurred that if we were to get relief in this case and we had the ability to complete, that we would be qualified for the championship game which we would get a bowl chance accordingly,”Bourne stated. “So that’s actually why we have actually taken the initiative that we have with this letter and what we hope truly will receive a positive lead to completion since it would fix the issue that we deal with and it would also make it easier I think, for the conference office. “The NCAA improvement committee established brand-new

FBS subscription requirements that will go into impact Aug. 1, 2027. In the letter to Morehead, JMU officials wrote that” due to the diligence and planning of our organization, we have the ability to confirm that we are satisfying the updated requirements now. We have met full FBS membership requirements in both years of our shift, and will continue to meet them in the future.”The Dukes, in their second season in the Sun Belt Conference, are 9-0 and ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press and coaches ‘polls. Since James Madison is disqualified under NCAA rules to complete in the postseason, it is not included in the College Football Playoff choice committee’s rankings.If the Dukes were eligible to contend in a bowl this season, they might be the highest-ranked team from a Group of 5 conference in the CFP rankings and in contention to play in a New Year’s 6 bowl game. Last week, the Dukes won their 12th successive game, 42-14 at Georgia State, and they’re among 7 unbeaten groups in the FBS.James Madison hosts UConn on Saturday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN +). As it stands, the only method the Dukes can play in a bowl game is if there aren’t adequate 6-6 teams to fill 82 areas in 41 championship game at the end of the routine season

. The Dukes also aren’t qualified to play in the Sun Belt Conference championship game, in spite of being the only team that’s still unbeaten in league play.JMU officials noted in the letter to Morehead that the Dukes are 15-3 versus FBS competitors the previous two seasons, and they’re the only program to be ranked in the AP survey in each of the 2 years while transitioning from the FCS to the FBS.”Most significantly, relief is required as a matter of student-athlete welfare,” JMU authorities composed in the letter.”The subscription acknowledges postseason participation as an essential component of the student-athlete experience. If relief is offered, our student-athletes would potentially have the unusual chance to participate in a distinguished New Year’s 6 bowl contest.” Our team consists of friends of trainees who have actually been through COVID disturbances, lost out on earned opportunities last year, and face uncertain prospects for postseason play once again this year in spite of their continual success. … The artificial rejection of such opportunities, which have otherwise been made on the field, is plainly damaging to our students’mental health and well-being. Further, this rejection hinders our student-athletes’monetary prospects and expert possibilities.”Virginia Attorney General Of The United States Jason Miyares, a JMU alumnus, wrote a letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker in September, asking him to allow the Dukes to play in a bowl game.In a response to Miyares last month, Baker did

n’t budge from the NCAA’s position. “The Department I Board of Directors and council believe clear requirements and timelines for reclassification processes will promote strategic membership growth and

permit a consistent experience for all reclassifying institutions,” Baker composed.”The board and council agreed that if changes to the FCS-to-FBS reclassification procedure are necessitated, these need to be managed through legislation that uses to all schools reclassifying from FCS to FBS.”