Wait ’til next year.
That has been the NCAA’s response to pleas from James Madison University — and the state’s attorney general — to allow the Dukes’ football team to play in a bowl game and participate in the Sun Belt Conference championship game.
You are viewing: Why Isn’t Jmu In The Sun Belt Championship
Even before Thursday night’s Sun Belt showdown against Marshall, JMU has enough wins to qualify for a bowl game. The Dukes entered this week as the Sun Belt’s only unbeaten team and were on the verge of joining the Associated Press Top 25.
But despite those credentials, JMU is ineligible for a bowl game under NCAA guidelines, and under Sun Belt rules can’t play in the conference championship as the school plays its second year in a transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
JMU’s appeal to forgo that second and final year of purgatory was denied by the NCAA in April, and the Dukes received another blow from the NCAA on Wednesday night.
Read more : Why Did Eric And Rashi Leave Lucky Dog
Charlie Baker, president of the NCAA, rejected a plea from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to waive the rule and allow the Dukes to play.
“The current two-year transition period was intended to provide adequate time for schools to demonstrate they have met the necessary requirements to become an FBS member and adjust to the increased requirements for student-athlete support in addition to FBS competition,” Baker wrote in a letter obtained by The Daily News-Record in Harrisonburg. “This timeline is intentional and membership-driven and applies to all schools transitioning from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision.”
Miyares, a JMU grad, had written earlier this month to Baker and the NCAA’s Board of Directors, asking them to waive the rule because of the Dukes’ quick ascent in FBS play.
JMU finished 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the Sun Belt last season. The Dukes won seven games against FBS teams last season, and five of its six victories this season have come against FBS teams.
“I understand the two-year transition period is intended to ensure that programs are able to operate and compete at the highest level of intercollegiate football to which they are graduating,” Miyares wrote, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “However, it is obvious that JMU’s football program has demonstrated it is more than capable of operating and competing at the FBS level, and it has satisfied all other NCAA requirements of FBS eligibility.”
Read more : Why Do Football Coaches Wear Headsets
After JMU’s 41-6 victory over Sun Belt foe Georgia State on Saturday, Miyares took his case to social media, writing on X (formerly known as Twitter): “JMU’s football team is a force to be reckoned with and deserves a chance to prove their great talent. @NCAA, you know what to do!”
JMU’s football team is a force to be reckoned with and deserves a chance to prove their great talent. @NCAA, you know what to do! #GoDukes pic.twitter.com/UAS3ZXFYWk
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) October 14, 2023
Miyares’ pleas, though, were answered firmly by Baker on Wednesday, and he mentioned JMU’s slight chances to make a bowl game: only if there are not enough bowl-eligible teams to fill the 82 available spots.
“The Division I Board of Directors and council believe clear standards and timelines for reclassification processes will promote strategic membership growth and allow for a uniform experience for all reclassifying institutions,” Baker wrote. “The board and council agreed that if changes to the FCS-to-FBS reclassification process are warranted, these should be handled through legislation that applies to all schools reclassifying from FCS to FBS.”
Miyares spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita issued a statement in response to The Daily News-Record: “The Attorney General is disappointed with the NCAA’s response and stands by the point in his letter.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
