JMU Publicizes Full 2026 Football Schedule

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison Athletics, in coordination with the Sun Belt Conference, has unveiled its full 2026 soccer schedule, that includes 12 video games with six at dwelling and 6 on the highway.

The 2026 slate additionally consists of three consecutive Thursday video games throughout late October and early November.

Five of six dwelling video games will kick off on Saturdays this upcoming Fall. JMU’s dwelling opponents embody Liberty (Sept. 5), Wagner (Sept. 12), Marshall (Oct. 3), Georgia State (Oct. 17), Troy (Thursday, Oct. 29) and Coastal Carolina (Nov. 28).

Road journeys embody San Diego State (Sept. 19), Old Dominion (Sept. 26), Georgia Southern (Oct. 10), App State (Thursday, Oct. 22), Southern Miss (Thursday, Nov. 5) and UConn (Nov. 14).

JMU opens the season taking part in three of its 4 non-conference opponents earlier than embarking on its Sun Belt schedule. It may even play 11 straight weeks earlier than a bye on the penultimate weekend of the common season.

The Dukes open the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 when internet hosting Liberty as a part of the Battle of the Blue Ridge. It would be the twentieth all-time assembly between the groups, with JMU main 13-6.

The following week, on Saturday, Sept. 12, JMU hosts Wagner out of the Northeast Conference. It would be the inaugural assembly between the 2.

JMU continues non-conference play on Saturday, Sept. 19 with its first journey to California to face San Diego State in a first-time assembly. It may even be the second straight yr JMU has confronted a Pac-12 opponent.

Sun Belt Conference play begins the next Saturday on Sept. 26 with a visit to Norfolk to face Old Dominion as a part of the TowneBank Royal Rivalry Challenge. JMU is 4-0 towards the Monarchs since becoming a member of the league in 2022, holding a 4-2 all-time collection lead.

 

The Dukes return dwelling to host Marshall as a part of Family Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Thundering Herd lead the collection 4-2 and the highway crew has gained all 4 conferences since they joined the Sun Belt 4 years in the past.

 

JMU seems to be to win its first sport in Statesboro, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 10 with a visit to Georgia Southern. Unlike the Marshall collection, the house groups have claimed each victory in the identical four-year span, as Southern leads the all-time collection 9-3, together with 6-0 at dwelling.

 

Homecoming Weekend takes place for JMU on Saturday, Oct. 17, because it performs host to Georgia State. JMU holds an unblemished 5-0 report, together with 3-0 at Bridgeforth Stadium.

 

Following Homecoming, JMU will play three consecutive Sun Belt foes on Thursday nights, starting with a visit to Boone, N.C., to tackle App State. It will mark the twenty first assembly between the applications, with App main 14-6. That consists of an 8-3 mark at dwelling.

 

The subsequent Thursday, on Oct. 29, JMU hosts Troy in a rematch of the 2025 Sun Belt Football Championship. JMU holds a 3-1 collection lead over the Trojans, which incorporates each conferences as a Sun Belt member.

 

The string of Thursdays ends on Nov. 5 with JMU’s Sun Belt West Division crossover journey to Hattiesburg, Miss., to tackle Southern Miss. JMU claimed the inaugural assembly towards the Golden Eagles in 2024 in Harrisonburg.

 

JMU steps out of league motion to shut non-conference play at UConn on Saturday, Nov. 14. JMU is 5-1 all-time towards the Huskies, because it makes its third journey to Storrs in 2026. JMU gained the primary FBS matchup between the squads in 2023 in a 44-6 win in Harrisonburg.

 

The Dukes could have an open week on the weekend of Nov. 21 earlier than closing the common season towards Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 28. JMU holds a 5-1 collection lead and has gained all 4 Sun Belt matchups by a mean rating of fifty.25 to 9.5.

 

Winners of the East and West Divisions will meet within the 2026 Sun Belt Football Championship on Friday, Dec. 4 whereas all postseason bowl alternatives and the College Football Playoff bracket will probably be unveiled on Sunday, Dec. 6.

Season ticket renewals for the 2026 season, offered by CarMax, are underway till the May 15 precedence deadline. Fans might also name 540-568-3853 or go to the JMU Athletics Ticket Office on the Atlantic Union Bank Center.

Game occasions and tv data for JMU’s first three non-conference video games and its three Sun Belt Thursday matchups will probably be introduced by ESPN in late May. All different remaining kickoff occasions will probably be introduced by the Sun Belt and ESPN on Mondays, 12 days prior to every sport.