Not every JMU football fan was thrilled about the idea of moving from the FCS to the FBS in recent years.
“We’re trading the playoffs for the chance at an irrelevant bowl game?!” some fans complained.
“What’s wrong with making a run to Frisco for the FCS title game?” fans wondered.
“The grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” others asserted.
Those complaints have rapidly disappeared, and Monday’s Sun Belt preseason coaches poll helps explain why.
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Sun Belt East favorite
JMU, in its second season at the FBS level, is the preseason pick to win the Sun Belt East. Transition rules will keep JMU out of the league title game for the second straight season, but it’s hard to argue with the excitement created by being the projected No. 1 team in a competitive division.
The Dukes are expected to finish ahead of App State – a program with a trajectory that JMU fans would likely be thrilled to emulate in the coming seasons. The Mountaineers are one of the best teams in the Sun Belt, and JMU topped them in 2022 and are projected to finish above them in 2023.
That’s legitimately exciting, as App State is one of the most well-respected Group of Five programs in the country.
JMU is also picked ahead of Coastal Carolina, one of the league’s best teams led by star quarterback Grayson McCall. The Chanticleers have blossomed into a national darling, yet the Dukes thrashed them by 40 points to conclude last season and have a team that should compete with Coastal Carolina again in 2023.
To be picked to finish first in the Sun Belt East is a tremendous accomplishment for any program, especially a team that was competing in the FCS playoffs in 2021.
The Dukes will need to show up on the field in 2023 to make the preseason prediction a reality, but the prediction is a nice offseason accolade for the young FBS program. Immediately competing in the Sun Belt shows JMU was ready for the increased competition and national exposure offered at the FBS level.
September schedule loaded
Monday’s Sun Belt preseason announcement also made clear that the possible loss in excitement in trading the FCS playoffs (admittedly those are intriguing) for an “irrelevant bowl game” is not actually a loss. JMU more than makes up for the lost excitement that comes from navigating the FCS playoffs thanks to a much-improved regular season schedule.
JMU’s September schedule consists of Bucknell, Virginia, Troy, Utah State, and South Alabama. Troy and South Alabama are picked first and second in the Sun Belt West, respectively.
By the end of September, JMU will have renewed an in-state matchup with UVA that went dormant for 40 years and faced two top-25 caliber Sun Belt West foes. That type of regular season excitement was sorely lacking in recent years when JMU ran through the CAA just about every week.
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No team hangs a banner for preseason accolades, but Monday’s Sun Belt preseason predictions show that JMU was ready for the FBS jump. Upon making the jump, the Dukes have seen immediate success and a dramatic increase in schedule strength. The Sun Belt gives JMU a chance to compete atop a conference, while also facing quality programs good enough to beat the Dukes.
For JMU to win its division, it takes elite play. That’s attainable for the Dukes, but unlike previous seasons, it feels like less of a given. JMU has to earn its successes, something every fan base enjoys watching. It makes conference victories as well as division and league championships feel like meaningful accomplishments, rather than a team just checking a box by beating up on inferior foes.
The wave of JMU fans questioning the need for an FBS move over the last 3-5 years have largely been silenced.
Bennett Conlin is a college football contributor for HERO Sports, and he works full-time covering sports betting industry news and legislation for Sports Handle and US Bets.
