Dukes Travel South to Lynchburg Saturday for Commonwealth Clash with Liberty

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison is back in action after an open week and stays in the Commonwealth, as it travels to Liberty out of Conference USA on Saturday, Sept. 20.

This will be the inaugural game of the Battle of the Blue Ridge, which is a football rivalry series. The teams are currently scheduled for 10 games between 2025 and 2040.

Kickoff on Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. at Williams Stadium, and the game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.

The 2025 season is sponsored by CarMax.

James Madison (1-1) at Liberty (1-2)
Saturday, September 20, 2025
Kickoff: 3:30 PM
Lynchburg, Va. | Williams Stadium

Game Information
TV: ESPNU
Online: Watch ESPN (cable subscription required)
Radio: WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network
Live Stats
JMU Game Notes

BREAKING DOWN THE SERIES

Saturday marks the 19th all-time meeting between the teams with JMU leading the series 12-6.
It's the first time the programs will match up since the 2014 season when both teams were in the FCS.
JMU is 6-2 in games played in Lynchburg and have won four in a row on the road.
Liberty won the previous meeting, 26-21, in the opening round of the 2014 FCS Playoffs in Harrisonburg.
Of the 18 previous meetings, 10 have been decided by one score, including each of the last three games.

20 IN A ROW VS. VIRGINIA TEAMS, SEEKING WIN #100

JMU's enters the 2025 season having won 20 straight games against teams from Virginia.
Since joining the Sun Belt, JMU has won all three matchups with Old Dominion and is 5-0 over Virginia teams since moving up to FBS, adding in a 2023 win at Virginia and a 2022 home victory versus Norfolk State.
The Dukes have played 160 games against state foes and is seeking their 100th victory, holding a 99-61 record (.619).
JMU has faced 15 teams from Virginia, dating back to its 1972 inaugural season.
The Dukes have played William & Mary (27-17) more than any other state team, at 44 games, and have faced Richmond (21-18) 39 times and Liberty (12-6) on 18 occasions.
The Tribe was the last state team to beat JMU in a 44-41 triumph on Oct. 31, 2015, in Williamsburg.

JMU OFF A BYE

Since the 2014 season, JMU has been solid coming off an open week, posting an 11-1 record after not playing the week prior.
That included both during JMU's pair of open weeks in 2024.
Over the past two seasons, JMU followed a bye week with a 41-13 win over Georgia Southern in 2023, a 70-50 triumph at North Carolina after the first bye in 2024 and a 38-7 victory following 2024's second open week.
In JMU's first FBS season, an early open weekend gave way to its thrilling 32-28 comeback win at App State in 2022, which was JMU's first Sun Belt game ever.
While a member of the FCS and Colonial Athletic Association, JMU was a perfect 7-0 following a bye week between 2014 and 2021 (excluding the 2020 spring CoVID season).
That stretch included an 84-7 Homecoming win against Rhode Island in 2016, which to date is JMU's largest scoring game and largest margin of victory in the history of the program.

LAST TIME JMU & LIBERTY MET

Back on Nov. 29, 2024, Liberty overcame a 21-10 halftime deficit, holding JMU without a second-half point to rally for a 26-21 win in the first round of the FCS Playoffs at Bridgeforth Stadium.
Liberty took the lead for good after scoring the game-winning touchdown with 2:53 to play on a 17-play, 85-yard drive that covered 11:01.JMU was limited to just 16 yards and 17 plays in the second half.
Liberty out-gained JMU 397-336 and dominated time of possession by a 39:01 to 20:59 margin.
Jauan Latney rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown to lead the Dukes, while Liberty was paced by D.J. Abnar, who ran for 69 yards and two scores.

THIRD MATCHUP WITH CUSA

Saturday marks just the third matchup for JMU against a member of Conference USA.
The Dukes are 2-0 all-time against the league.
JMU first matched up with the conference in its first game as a member of the FBS when it hosted and rolled to a 44-7 victory at home against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 23, 2022.
Last season, JMU capped off the 2024 campaign with a 27-17 win against WKU in the Boca Raton Bowl on Dec. 18, 2024.

10 SCHEDULED GAMES FOR JMU-LIBERTY

Last week, JMU and Liberty announced the establishing of the Battle of the Blue Ridge.
The teams had previously signed contracts for six games, but the start of the football rivalry also came with the addition of four more game dates, reaching as far as 2040.
The game on Sept. 15, 2040, in Lynchburg is the furthest signed contract for any game in all of college football.
Liberty makes the first trip to JMU next September before the rivalry takes a five-year hiatus.
Beginning in 2031, the teams begin a stretch of eight games over a 10-season span, with consecutive matchups from 2031 to 2034 and 2037 through 2040.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR JMU

JMU returns home for the first time in four weeks on Saturday, Sept. 27 when it hosts Georgia Southern for a Family Weekend sellout.
Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
It will be the 12th meeting all-time between the teams, as GS leads the series 9-2.
Since JMU joined the Sun Belt in 2022, the home team has won every matchup, with JMU taking the 2023 meeting and the Eagles downing JMU in both 2022 and 2024.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPNU
Online: Watch ESPN (Subscription required)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network
On the radio – WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM
Online: The Varsity Network

Broadcast Talent
ESPN2: Courtney Lyle (pxp), Rene Ingoglia (analyst)
Radio: Dave Riggert (pxp), Que Reid (analyst)