James Madison University 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 College in 1938 in honor of President James Madison and then James Madison University in 1977. The university is situated in the Shenandoah Valley, just west of Massanutten Mountain.
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 University Convocation Center is a 6,426-seat multi-purpose arena in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The arena opened in 1982, and was home to the James Madison Dukes men's basketball and James Madison Dukes women's basketball teams through the 2019–20 season. It hosted the 1984 ECAC South Men's Basketball Tournament.
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.
The Duke Dog is the official mascot for the James Madison University Dukes. "Dukes" was made the official nickname in 1947, and was named after the University's president from 1919 to 1949, Samuel Page Duke. However, the bulldog was not chosen to represent the Dukes until the 1972-1973 school year.
The James Madison University 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. JMU is a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level. In football, JMU participates in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of Division I, formerly known as Division I-AA. The university mascot, Duke Dog, is frequently seen at all sporting events, and the school colors are royal purple and gold. JMU has won five NCAA national championships, third-most among Virginia colleges and universities.
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 Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). 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 Curt Cignetti.
The Marching Royal Dukes are James Madison University's official marching band. Formed in 1972, the "MRD's" perform at pre-game, halftime and post-game at all home football games, and travel with the team occasionally to perform at away and post-season games. In 1994, the MRD's were the recipients of the Sudler Trophy, the highest honor available for a college marching band.
Rodney Landers is a former American football player. He played college football as the starting quarterback for the James Madison Dukes of James Madison University (JMU). He was not selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, where due to his speed and flexibility he had been considered a potential defensive back, running back, wide receiver, or quarterback prospect. He spent time with the Richmond Revolution as a back-up Quarterback, Receiver and Return Specialist.
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.
John Eugene DeFilippo is an American football coach who is the quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at James Madison University, and has served as offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
The 2008 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University in the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. JMU finished the season 12–2 with an undefeated record of 8–0 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The 2007 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University in the 2007 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by head coach Mickey Matthews and played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. JMU finished the season 8–4 with a record of 6–2 in their first season as members of the Colonial Athletic Association.
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.
The 2006 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by head coach Mickey Matthews and played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. JMU finished the season 9–3 with a record of 7–1 in their final season as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The James Madison–Richmond football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the James Madison Dukes and the Richmond Spiders. Previously, it was a divisional game in the South division of the Colonial Athletic Association, and conference game in the Yankee Conference and Atlantic 10 beginning with the Dukes entry in 1993. During this period, the teams have combined for three National Championships and fourteen Conference Championships. All of James Madison's home games have been hosted at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia while Richmond hosted its contests at City Stadium until 2009, and from 2010 onward at Robins Stadium, both in Richmond, Virginia; as of 2016, only one game has been played on a neutral field, a 1985 matchup in Norfolk, Virginia. The rivalry has become increasingly intense over the years, likely due to the stark differences between the two institutions, and the continued success of both programs.
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 1999 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University (JMU) during the 1999 NCAA Division I-AA football season. It was the program's 28th season and they finished as Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) co-champions with UMass after posting a 7–1 record in conference play. The Dukes earned a berth as the #12 seed into the 16-team Division I-AA playoffs, but lost in the first round to #5 seed Troy State, 7–27. JMU was led by first-year head coach Mickey Matthews.
The 2019 James Madison Dukes football team represented James Madison University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Curt Cignetti and played their home games at Bridgeforth Stadium. They competed as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). They finished the season 14–2, 8–0 in CAA play to be CAA champions. They received the CAA's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated Monmouth, Northern Iowa, and Weber State to advance to the FCS National Championship Game where they lost to North Dakota State.
