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James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
JMU Announces Full 2026 Football Schedule
3/13/2026 1:00:00 PM | Football
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison Athletics, in coordination with the Sun Belt Conference, has unveiled its complete 2026 football schedule, featuring 12 games with six at home and six on the road.
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The 2026 slate also includes three consecutive Thursday games during late October and early November.
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Five of six home games will kick off on Saturdays this upcoming Fall. JMU's home opponents include Liberty (Sept. 5), Wagner (Sept. 12), Marshall (Oct. 3), Georgia State (Oct. 17), Troy (Thursday, Oct. 29) and Coastal Carolina (Nov. 28).
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Road trips include San Diego State (Sept. 19), Old Dominion (Sept. 26), Georgia Southern (Oct. 10), App State (Thursday, Oct. 22), Southern Miss (Thursday, Nov. 5) and UConn (Nov. 14).
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JMU opens the season playing three of its four non-conference opponents before embarking on its Sun Belt schedule. It will also play 11 straight weeks before a bye on the penultimate weekend of the regular season.
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The Dukes open the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 when hosting Liberty as part of the Battle of the Blue Ridge. It will be the 20th all-time meeting between the teams, with JMU leading 13-6.
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The following week, on Saturday, Sept. 12, JMU hosts Wagner out of the Northeast Conference. It will be the inaugural meeting between the two.
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JMU continues non-conference play on Saturday, Sept. 19 with its first trip to California to face San Diego State in a first-time meeting. It will also be the second straight year JMU has faced a Pac-12 opponent.
Sun Belt Conference play begins the following Saturday on Sept. 26 with a trip to Norfolk to face Old Dominion as part of the TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge. JMU is 4-0 against the Monarchs since joining the league in 2022, holding a 4-2 all-time series lead.
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The Dukes return home to host Marshall as part of Family Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Thundering Herd lead the series 4-2 and the road team has won all four meetings since they joined the Sun Belt four years ago.
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JMU looks to win its first game in Statesboro, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 10 with a trip to Georgia Southern. Unlike the Marshall series, the home teams have claimed every victory in the same four-year span, as Southern leads the all-time series 9-3, including 6-0 at home.
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Homecoming Weekend takes place for JMU on Saturday, Oct. 17, as it plays host to Georgia State. JMU holds an unblemished 5-0 record, including 3-0 at Bridgeforth Stadium.
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Following Homecoming, JMU will play three consecutive Sun Belt foes on Thursday nights, beginning with a trip to Boone, N.C., to take on App State. It will mark the 21st meeting between the programs, with App leading 14-6. That includes an 8-3 mark at home.
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The next Thursday, on Oct. 29, JMU hosts Troy in a rematch of the 2025 Sun Belt Football Championship. JMU holds a 3-1 series lead over the Trojans, which includes both meetings as a Sun Belt member.
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The string of Thursdays ends on Nov. 5 with JMU's Sun Belt West Division crossover trip to Hattiesburg, Miss., to take on Southern Miss. JMU claimed the inaugural meeting against the Golden Eagles in 2024 in Harrisonburg.
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JMU steps out of league action to close non-conference play at UConn on Saturday, Nov. 14. JMU is 5-1 all-time against the Huskies, as it makes its third trip to Storrs in 2026. JMU won the first FBS matchup between the squads in 2023 in a 44-6 win in Harrisonburg.
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The Dukes will have an open week on the weekend of Nov. 21 before closing the regular season against Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 28. JMU holds a 5-1 series lead and has won all four Sun Belt matchups by an average score of 50.25 to 9.5.
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Winners of the East and West Divisions will meet in the 2026 Sun Belt Football Championship on Friday, Dec. 4 while all postseason bowl selections and the College Football Playoff bracket will be unveiled on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Season ticket renewals for the 2026 season, presented by CarMax, are underway until the May 15 priority deadline. Fans may also call 540-568-3853 or visit the JMU Athletics Ticket Office at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
Game times and television information for JMU's first three non-conference games and its three Sun Belt Thursday matchups will be announced by ESPN in late May. All other remaining kickoff times will be announced by the Sun Belt and ESPN on Mondays, 12 days prior to each game.
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The 2026 slate also includes three consecutive Thursday games during late October and early November.
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Five of six home games will kick off on Saturdays this upcoming Fall. JMU's home opponents include Liberty (Sept. 5), Wagner (Sept. 12), Marshall (Oct. 3), Georgia State (Oct. 17), Troy (Thursday, Oct. 29) and Coastal Carolina (Nov. 28).
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Road trips include San Diego State (Sept. 19), Old Dominion (Sept. 26), Georgia Southern (Oct. 10), App State (Thursday, Oct. 22), Southern Miss (Thursday, Nov. 5) and UConn (Nov. 14).
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JMU opens the season playing three of its four non-conference opponents before embarking on its Sun Belt schedule. It will also play 11 straight weeks before a bye on the penultimate weekend of the regular season.
Â
The Dukes open the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 when hosting Liberty as part of the Battle of the Blue Ridge. It will be the 20th all-time meeting between the teams, with JMU leading 13-6.
Â
The following week, on Saturday, Sept. 12, JMU hosts Wagner out of the Northeast Conference. It will be the inaugural meeting between the two.
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JMU continues non-conference play on Saturday, Sept. 19 with its first trip to California to face San Diego State in a first-time meeting. It will also be the second straight year JMU has faced a Pac-12 opponent.
Sun Belt Conference play begins the following Saturday on Sept. 26 with a trip to Norfolk to face Old Dominion as part of the TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge. JMU is 4-0 against the Monarchs since joining the league in 2022, holding a 4-2 all-time series lead.
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The Dukes return home to host Marshall as part of Family Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Thundering Herd lead the series 4-2 and the road team has won all four meetings since they joined the Sun Belt four years ago.
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JMU looks to win its first game in Statesboro, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 10 with a trip to Georgia Southern. Unlike the Marshall series, the home teams have claimed every victory in the same four-year span, as Southern leads the all-time series 9-3, including 6-0 at home.
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Homecoming Weekend takes place for JMU on Saturday, Oct. 17, as it plays host to Georgia State. JMU holds an unblemished 5-0 record, including 3-0 at Bridgeforth Stadium.
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Following Homecoming, JMU will play three consecutive Sun Belt foes on Thursday nights, beginning with a trip to Boone, N.C., to take on App State. It will mark the 21st meeting between the programs, with App leading 14-6. That includes an 8-3 mark at home.
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The next Thursday, on Oct. 29, JMU hosts Troy in a rematch of the 2025 Sun Belt Football Championship. JMU holds a 3-1 series lead over the Trojans, which includes both meetings as a Sun Belt member.
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The string of Thursdays ends on Nov. 5 with JMU's Sun Belt West Division crossover trip to Hattiesburg, Miss., to take on Southern Miss. JMU claimed the inaugural meeting against the Golden Eagles in 2024 in Harrisonburg.
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JMU steps out of league action to close non-conference play at UConn on Saturday, Nov. 14. JMU is 5-1 all-time against the Huskies, as it makes its third trip to Storrs in 2026. JMU won the first FBS matchup between the squads in 2023 in a 44-6 win in Harrisonburg.
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The Dukes will have an open week on the weekend of Nov. 21 before closing the regular season against Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 28. JMU holds a 5-1 series lead and has won all four Sun Belt matchups by an average score of 50.25 to 9.5.
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Winners of the East and West Divisions will meet in the 2026 Sun Belt Football Championship on Friday, Dec. 4 while all postseason bowl selections and the College Football Playoff bracket will be unveiled on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Season ticket renewals for the 2026 season, presented by CarMax, are underway until the May 15 priority deadline. Fans may also call 540-568-3853 or visit the JMU Athletics Ticket Office at the Atlantic Union Bank Center.
Game times and television information for JMU's first three non-conference games and its three Sun Belt Thursday matchups will be announced by ESPN in late May. All other remaining kickoff times will be announced by the Sun Belt and ESPN on Mondays, 12 days prior to each game.
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