Completed Event: Football at Louisville on September 5, 2025 , Loss , 14, to, 28


JMU Athletics sponsors an 18-sport intercollegiate athletics program that competes at the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Dukes compete in the Sun Belt Conference, having joined the league on July 1, 2022, and are additionally affiliated with the Eastern College Athletic Conference. JMU also competes in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in lacrosse and will join the Mid-American Conference (MAC) in field hockey beginning in 2024. JMU previously competed in all sports in the Colonial Athletic Association as a founding, charter member from 1985 to 2022.
JMU has men's athletics programs in baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, and tennis. For women, the university offers programs in basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.
JMU's women's athletics tradition is among the oldest in the nation, dating nearly back to the institution's founding in 1908. Strong intercollegiate programs for women have been in place at the university since the early 1920s, and JMU was among the first of the nation's institutions to provide well-rounded overall intercollegiate offerings for females. Men's athletics began at JMU during the late 1940s, and a comprehensive program for men began evolving in the late 1960s when the university became fully coeducational.
JMU's men's soccer team led the university's move to the NCAA Division I level, attracting national attention in the early 1970s, and the majority of JMU's programs moved to Division I for the 1976-77 academic year. The university's football program moved from Division III to Division II in 1979, to what is now the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly Division I-AA) in 1980 and began its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2022. As of the 2024 season, JMU is a full FBS member.
JMU has claimed four NCAA national championships - field hockey (1994), football (2004, 2016) and lacrosse (2018). Athletic scholarships have been available at JMU since the early 1970s. Each of the university's programs are funded to the full level that NCAA guidelines allow (scholarships, coaching staffs, etc.).
Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles
Mission
JMU Athletics contributes to a vibrant University, community and student experience. Through our resolute commitment to excellence, service, inclusiveness and engagement, we generate pride, passion and national exposure for the University. Central to our mission is ensuring an exemplary student-athlete experience emphasizing academic achievement, personal development, social responsibility and competitive excellence.
Vision
To be the NCAA model for the student-athlete experience distinguished by our academic achievement, integrity, personal development and nationally-competitive programs.
Guiding Principles
Integrity
We embody ethical behavior consistent with academic, social, fiscal and customer service standards; we adhere to University, Commonwealth of Virginia, NCAA and Conference requirements.
Responsibility
We demonstrate accountability to all stakeholders by being excellent stewards of resources with transparency of policies and practices.
Excellence and Continuous Improvement
We seek excellence in academic achievement, athletic competition, social responsibility and business practices; we pursue professional development, lifelong learning and continuous program assessment.
Strategy, Creativity and Innovation
We engage in a systematic planning process in pursuit of prioritized goals and maintain a steadfast commitment to accountability and transparency in our achievement of measurable performance standards; we encourage the development of ideas and solutions through proactive problem solving and investment in industry best practices.
Engagement and Inclusion
We invest in University and community enrichment through collaboration, communication, service and sharing of resources; we promote a network that values shared respect of all individuals and perspectives while emphasizing and acknowledging a positive culture of passion, pride and achievement.
Diversity and Gender Equity Statement
James Madison University Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to the cultivation of an environment that values diversity and equity with respect for the unique contribution of each individual. James Madison University's Student-Athletes will benefit from a comprehensive experience that ensures gender equity in all programs.