The 2023 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 ...

as a member of the East Division of the

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...

during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach

Curt Cignetti Curt Cignetti (born June 2, 1961) is an American football coach who has been the head coach of the James Madison Dukes since 2019. He previously served as the head coach for Elon University and was an assistant coach for the University of Alabam ...

, the Dukes played home games at

Bridgeforth Stadium 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 seati ...

Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. At the 2 ...

as members of the East division of the

. The season was the final year of a two-year transition from the

Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athleti ...

. The team was not originally eligible for a bowl game; a request for a waiver was denied by the NCAA in August, and a waiver for relief was also denied in November. However, as there were not enough

bowl eligible Bowl eligibility in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible". ...

teams, they were given a berth. JMU was selected to play in the

Armed Forces Bowl The Armed Forces Bowl, formerly the Fort Worth Bowl from 2003 to 2005, is an annual postseason college football bowl game. First played in 2003, the game is normally held at the 45,000-seat Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian ...

Preseason

Media poll

In the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Dukes were picked to finish in first place in the East division. Offensive lineman Nick Kidwell, defensive lineman James Carpenter, and punter Ryan Hanson were named to the preseason All-Sun Belt first team. Linebacker Taurus Jones was named to the second team.

Schedule

The football schedule was announced February 24, 2023.

Roster

Game summaries

vs Bucknell

at Virginia

at Troy

at Utah State

vs South Alabama

vs Georgia Southern

at Marshall

vs Old Dominion

at Georgia State

vs UConn

Statistics

vs Appalachian State

at Coastal Carolina

Rankings

Notes

References

{{James Madison Dukes football 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

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 ...