JMU to leave Sun Belt and join American Conference by 2028
· Yahoo Sports
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WAVY) — James Madison University has been accepted into the American Conference and will become a full member no later than July, 1, 2028, the university announced on Monday, Oct. 12.
JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
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JMU has been a member of the Sun Belt Conference since 2022, earning championships in football, men's and women's basketball, volleyball, women's soccer, and swimming and diving. The Dukes have been an affiliate member of the American Conference in women's lacrosse since 2022, and have won back-to-back conference titles.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, JMU will pay $23 million to join the American Conference and $5 million to leave the Sun Belt. According to JMU, the exit fee is being covered by "private funding," and the entry fee has "already been committed by new private corporate partners."
"We are honored that our request for membership in the American Conference has been accepted," JMU President James Schmidt said. "The American is home to member institutions who share our ambitious academic goals and our unwavering commitment to student success. Our student-athletes will compete in cities where JMU alumni are already rooted, and future Dukes will fill the stands."
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