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James Madison Receives Votes in Preseason Coaches Poll
8/4/2026 2:25:00 PM | Football
HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison received votes in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll for the third time in the last four years, according to the annual polling of selected FBS Coaches.
The preseason favorite in the Sun Belt East Division, James Madison was the lone league school to appear in the preseason poll and was one of 10 overall from the non-autonomous FBS conferences. The Dukes received six votes and were 20th among the teams receiving votes.
JMU is coming off a 2025 campaign that saw the Dukes go 12-2 and qualify for the College Football Playoff. James Madison finished the year ranked for the first time, placing 20th in the final US LBM Coaches Poll and 19th in the AP Poll. In addition to 2026, JMU also received votes in the preseason poll in 2023 and 2024.
James Madison returns 34 letterwinners and five starters from its 2025 roster. In addition to the 12-2 overall mark, the Dukes finished the year with a perfect 8-0 record on their way to winning their first Sun Belt Conference crown.
The Dukes, led by first-year Head Coach Billy Napier, added 61 newcomers for the 2026 campaign, including 39 transfers and 22 high school seniors. JMU opens the 2026 season, presented by CarMax, on Saturday, Sept. 5 when it hosts in-state foe Liberty in a noon kickoff on ESPNU at Bridgeforth Stadium.
The preseason favorite in the Sun Belt East Division, James Madison was the lone league school to appear in the preseason poll and was one of 10 overall from the non-autonomous FBS conferences. The Dukes received six votes and were 20th among the teams receiving votes.
JMU is coming off a 2025 campaign that saw the Dukes go 12-2 and qualify for the College Football Playoff. James Madison finished the year ranked for the first time, placing 20th in the final US LBM Coaches Poll and 19th in the AP Poll. In addition to 2026, JMU also received votes in the preseason poll in 2023 and 2024.
James Madison returns 34 letterwinners and five starters from its 2025 roster. In addition to the 12-2 overall mark, the Dukes finished the year with a perfect 8-0 record on their way to winning their first Sun Belt Conference crown.
The Dukes, led by first-year Head Coach Billy Napier, added 61 newcomers for the 2026 campaign, including 39 transfers and 22 high school seniors. JMU opens the 2026 season, presented by CarMax, on Saturday, Sept. 5 when it hosts in-state foe Liberty in a noon kickoff on ESPNU at Bridgeforth Stadium.
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