JMU drops plan for legal action to get bowl bid

• Andrea Adelson, ESPN

  • Elder WriterNov 22, 2023, 08:38 AM ET Close ACC reporter.
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2010.
  • Graduate of the University of Florida.James Madison will no

longer pursue legal action against the NCAA for bowl eligibility, the school said in a statement Tuesday night.Last week, the NCAA denied James Madison’s request for a postseason waiver to be able to play in a bowl this season. Due to the fact that the Dukes remain in the 2nd year of a shift from FCS to FBS, they are not qualified for the postseason.But following a 10-0 start and denial of that waiver, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares had threatened legal action, saying recently,”This oppression transcends athletics, and must not be permitted to stand. “Editor’s Picks James Madison lost to Appalachian State 26-23 on Saturday, ending its best season. In its declaration Tuesday, the school stated that loss “altered the landscape in terms of the nature and timing of our legal options, consisting of the decreased practicality of a claim against the NCAA.”

“On Saturday night, following the game, we sought advice from Attorney General Miyares and his personnel, in addition to with our outside counsel, and the consensus was that filing emergency situation legal action against the NCAA was not a practical course of action at this moment in time,” the school said. “The University’s focus now is on getting the football group into a championship game, and it appears that such an outcome is still a likelihood. We could still file an action versus the NCAA later if required to receive a bowl invite, however for the time being, there was a strong consensus that continuing with legal action did not make good sense.”

James Madison does have a possibility to play in a bowl game if there are inadequate bowl-eligible groups to fill the 82 available areas. Getting in the final week of the regular season, 70 teams– consisting of James Madison and Jacksonville State, which is also in its 2nd FBS season– have 6 wins, while another 24 teams have 5 wins and could end up being bowl-eligible with a success.