The NCAA Division I Board Administration Committee denied James Madison’s second waiver attempt for full bowl eligibility Wednesday, sources briefed on the decision said. Here’s what you need to know:
- James Madison is a second-year FCS-FBS transition team, meaning it is not eligible for the postseason this year, unless there aren’t enough 6-6 bowl teams. Despite the denial, JMU is still likely to reach a bowl game due to a lack of enough 6-6 teams.
- After going 8-3 as an FBS team last year, JMU submitted a waiver to request its transition be one year instead of the NCAA-manded two years. It was denied in the spring.
- This year’s JMU team is 10-0 and might be in position for the Group of 5’s New Year’s Six berth if it was fully eligible. The Dukes are not eligible for the CFP rankings nor eligible for the Sun Belt championship game, per conference policy.
- Jacksonville State’s FBS bowl and Tarleton State’s FCS playoff waivers were also denied.
Is this a surprise?
JMU officials did not feel optimistic heading into the hearings, but they remained hopeful. JMU’s case for the waiver rested on the fact that it spent its first transition season in FBS and the Sun Belt, unlike most transitioning teams that spend the first year in FCS (as Jacksonville State and Sam Houston did).
The Dukes have also clearly proven they belong at the FBS level, with an 18-3 record since the move and an athletic budget on par with their conference peers. If there was a team worthy of a waiver, it was this one. — Chris Vannini, senior CFB writer
Why was it denied?
More than anything else, the NCAA committees and other schools didn’t want to create a precedent, especially after denying it in the spring. The rules are the rules. JMU acknowledged it knew the rules when it made the move, and did so again when the waiver was denied the first time.
These classification rules have come up frequently in basketball. Fairleigh Dickinson only upset No. 1 seed Purdue in this past spring’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament because Northeast Conference champion Merrimack was not eligible for the tournament as a transitioning Division II school. That jump is a four-year process.
This also comes at a time when FBS requirements are getting stricter. Last month, the Division I Council changed the FBS requirements, removing the attendance requirement but adding a $5 million application fee (up from $5,000) and placing stricter scholarship usage requirements. FBS will grow to 134 teams next year with the addition of Kennesaw State. More guardrails are going up, and allowing a school to bypass part of the rules doesn’t fit with where the winds are blowing. — Vannini
Why does the reclassification process exist?
In a statement, the Administrative Committee said in part, “Requirements for members transitioning into FBS are based on factors beyond athletics performance. They are intended to ensure schools are properly evaluating their long-term sustainability in the subdivision. Sponsoring sports at this level requires increased scholarships, expanded athletics compliance efforts, and additional academic and mental health support for student-athletes, and the transition period is intended to give members time to adjust to those increased requirements to position student-athletes at those schools for long-term success.
“Division I members continually assess transition requirements, and the board continues to believe that if Division I members do not think the requirements are appropriate, those concerns should be addressed through rules changes rather than waiver requests.”
What’s next?
JMU hosts College GameDay this Saturday, and you can be sure the show will be filled with anger directed toward the NCAA, now on the scale of ESPN’s premiere pregame show. I imagine Pat McAfee will have a few choice things to say about it.
The Dukes also host Appalachian State and play at Coastal Carolina next week. Both App and Coastal are in the race to fill the Sun Belt East spot for which JMU is not eligible. It’s possible we could get JMU and Liberty matched up in a bowl game, potentially both as undefeated. This week’s The Athletic bowl projections have JMU versus Toledo in the Cure Bowl.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has already lobbied for the Dukes once, sending a letter to NCAA president Charlie Barker that was largely dismissed. It’s possible Miyares and other state politicians who have referenced the cause could create another push.
If JMU runs the table, there will likely be a swell of fan support to declare itself a national champion, as UCF did in 2017. If you go undefeated, I’ve got no problem with that. — Vannini
What they’re saying
“We’re obviously disappointed in the outcome of the NCAA’s review of our request for bowl relief,” JMU said in a statement. “We’re saddened for our university community and, in particular, we’re devastated for our football program, the coaches and student-athletes who have orchestrated an amazing season and earned the opportunity. As we turn the page, we have an incredible week lined up with College GameDay here and our final home game, so we’re focused on maximizing these moments for our university and celebrating our senior class.”
Required reading
(Photo: Lee Coleman / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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