The 2020 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 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the

2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season The 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The regular ...

. They were led by second-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 ...

and played their 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 ...

. On July 17, 2020, the Colonial Athletic Association announced that it would not play fall sports due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, but that they would permit conference members to compete as independents for the fall 2020 season if they still wanted to compete. At the time of the conference postponement, JMU announced that they would opt to compete as an independent for the fall season, however they officially suspended their fall campaign on August 7 preceding the impending postponement of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. In September, the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

announced changes for the Division I Football championship, with a 16-team playoff being conducted from April 18 to May 15. The Dukes finished the regular season undefeated and won the CAA South Division title. The Dukes were not selected as the conference champions, instead the championship was awarded to

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

(who also finished the regular season undefeated). The Dukes received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs, where they defeated VMI and

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...

before losing in the semifinals at

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 ...

, the eventual national champions.

Previous season

The Dukes finished the 2019 season 11–1, 8–0 in CAA play to win the CAA championship. They received the CAA's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Monmouth,

Northern Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, and

Weber State Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. History Weber State University was founded ...

to advance to the FCS National Championship Game where they lost to

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 ...

Schedule

James Madison had originally scheduled non-conference games at

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

and at home against Chattanooga and Merrimack, that were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The CAA released its revised spring conference schedule on October 27, 2020. For the spring season, the CAA was divided into a North and a South division, with James Madison place in the South Division.

References

{{2020 NCAA 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 h ...

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 ...