Michael Chester "Mickey" Matthews is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at James Madison University (JMU) from 1999 to 2013, compiling a record of 109–71. Matthews coached the 2004 James Madison Dukes football team to an NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship.
The James Madison Dukes are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent James Madison University (JMU), in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. The Dukes play as members of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level. In football, JMU participates in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of Division I, formerly known as Division I-A. JMU was a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA),. The Dukes officially left the CAA and joined the SBC in 2022, participating in Division I FBS football and other sports sponsored by the conference.
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 within the conference for the 2022 season. The university first fielded a football team in 1972, and the Dukes play at the on-campus Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Dukes are currently coached by Bob Chesney.
The James Madison Dukes men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school, a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, joined the Sun Belt Conference on July 1, 2022, after having been a member of the Colonial Athletic Association since that league's establishment in 1979. The Dukes are led by head coach Preston Spradlin. The Dukes play their home games at the on-campus Atlantic Union Bank Center which seats 8,500 fans and opened in November 2020. The Dukes have appeared six times in the NCAA tournament, most recently in 2024.
Curt Cignetti is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the current head football coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. He was previously the head coach of the James Madison Dukes, Elon Phoenix, and the IUP Crimson Hawks.
The 2010 James Madison Dukes football team represents James Madison University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Dukes were led by 12th year head coach Mickey Matthews in what proved to be a roller-coaster season. The Dukes made college football history when they knocked off in-state power #13 Virginia Tech, on the road, in front of over 66,000 fans. James Madison became the second FCS team to beat a nationally ranked FBS opponent since Appalachian State defeated #5 ranked Michigan in 2007. Not long after the victory of Virginia Tech the injuries began to mount up and paired with a difficult in-conference schedule. JMU finished the season 6–5 with nine of the eleven games decided by 7 points or less.
The 2015 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Everett Withers and played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium and Zane Showker Field. They were a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The Dukes finished the regular season 9–2 to share the CAA championship with William & Mary and Richmond, who all finished with identical 6–2 conference records. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs, where they lost in the second round to Colgate and finish the season 9–3.
The 2016–17 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by first-year head coach Louis Rowe, played their home games at the James Madison University Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Colonial Athletic Association. They finished the season 10–23, 7–11 in CAA play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They defeated Drexel in the first round of the CAA tournament to advance to the quarterfinals where they lost to College of Charleston.
Robert Edward Chesney is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, a position he has held since December 2023. A graduate of Dickinson College, Chesney served as the head football coach at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island from 2010 to 2012, Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts from 2013 to 2017, and the College of the Holy Cross from 2018 to 2023. At Assumption, he led the Greyhounds to consecutive NCAA Division II Football Championship playoff appearances in the final three years of his tenure.
The 2018 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Mike Houston and played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium. They were a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). They finished the season 9–4, 6–2 in CAA play to finish in second place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Delaware in the first round before losing to Colgate in the second round.
The 1991 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University as an independent during the 1991 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Rip Scherer, the Duke played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. James Madison finished the season with an overall record of 9–4. They qualified for the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, beating Delaware in the first round before falling to Samford in the quarterfinals.
The 2020 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Curt Cignetti and played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium.
The 2020–21 James Madison Dukes men's basketball team represented James Madison University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Dukes, led by first-year head coach Mark Byington, played their home games at the newly opened Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the Colonial Athletic Association. In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they finished the season 13–7, 8–2 in CAA play to earn a share of the regular season championship. They lost in the quarterfinals of the CAA tournament to Elon.
The 1980 James Madison Dukes football team was an American football team that represented James Madison University during the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season as an independent. In their ninth year under head coach Challace McMillin, the team compiled a 4–6 record.
The 1981 James Madison Dukes football team was an American football team that represented James Madison University during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season as an independent. In their tenth year under head coach Challace McMillin, the team compiled a 3–8 record.
The 1983 James Madison Dukes football team was an American football team that represented James Madison University during the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season as an independent. In their twelfth year under head coach Challace McMillin, the team compiled an 3–8 record.
The 1984 James Madison Dukes football team was an American football team that represented James Madison University during the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season as an independent. In their thirteenth year under head coach Challace McMillin, the team compiled an 6–5 record.
The 2000 James Madison Dukes football team was an American football team that represented James Madison University during the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. In their second year under head coach Mickey Matthews, the team compiled a 6–5 record.
The 2022 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Curt Cignetti. The Dukes played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia as members of the East division of the Sun Belt Conference. The Dukes finished the season 8–3, 6–2 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for first place in the East division.
The 2024 Sun Belt Conference football season will be the 24th season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The season is scheduled to begin August 31, 2024 and conclude with the Conference Championship Game on December 7, 2024. The season will be part of the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The conference will consist of 14 football member split into two divisions. The conference released its full season scheduled on March 1, 2024.
