The 2016 James Madison Dukes football team represented

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...

during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first year head coach Mike Houston and played their home games at

Bridgeforth Stadium and Zane Showker Field Bridgeforth Stadium is a football stadium located on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The stadium is home to the James Madison Dukes football team. The playing surface is named Zane Showker Field. With a seatin ...

. They were a member of the

Colonial Athletic Association The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universi ...

(CAA). They finished the season 14–1 overall with an 8–0 mark in CAA play to win the conference title. They received the automatic bid to the FCS playoffs, where they defeated

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Sam Houston State Sam Houston State University (SHSU or Sam) is a public university in Huntsville, Texas. It was founded in 1879 and is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools west of the Mississippi River and ...

, and five-time defending champions

North Dakota State North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as t ...

to advance to the National Championship Game, where they defeated

Youngstown State Youngstown State University (YSU or Youngstown State) is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio. The university is composed of six undergraduate colleges an ...

. This was their first national championship since 2004.

Previous season

In 2015, the Dukes finished with a record of 9–3, 6–2 in CAA play, to finish in a first-place tie with

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

and William & Mary. They received an at-large bid to the

FCS Playoffs The NCAA Division I Football Championship is an annual post-season college football game, played since 2006, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). From 1978 to 2005, the game was k ...

and hosted Colgate in the second round. The Dukes lost to the Raiders, 44–38, and were eliminated from the playoffs.

Schedule

Roster

Game summaries

Morehead State

Central Connecticut

at North Carolina

at Maine

Delaware

William & Mary

at New Hampshire

Rhode Island

at Richmond

at Villanova

Elon

FCS Playoffs

Second Round–New Hampshire

Quarterfinals–Sam Houston State

Semifinals–North Dakota State

It was this game that ended NDSU's streak of five consecutive FCS titles.

Championship–Youngstown State

Ranking movements

References

{{2016 Division I FCS playoff navbox

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

James Madison Dukes football seasons NCAA Division I Football Champions Colonial Athletic Association football champion seasons

James Madison Dukes football The James Madison Dukes football program represents James Madison University in the sport of American football. The Dukes compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), beginning play ...