Completed Event: Softball at Southern Miss on April 3, 2026 , Loss , 4, to, 5 , (11 Inn.)
SB
Final
James Madison
4
at Southern Miss
(11 Inn.)
5
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Bourne Dialogue - Duke Club Week
10/6/2016 1:30:00 PM | Administration
Bourne Dialogue – Duke Club Week
JMU Nation,
When I started as Director of Athletics at James Madison in 1999, the Duke Club was in its infancy. Our annual giving in support of student-athlete scholarships totaled about $140,000 and our operation was modest.
As we cross the mid-point of Duke Club Week, we celebrate the growth of our support wing to greater than $2 million per year in donations to our annual fund. Thanks to the steadfast commitment of the university and, in particular, Senior Vice President Charlie King, the Duke Club has come a long way in terms of staffing, resources and achievement.
When you talk about our athletics success being attributed to the team behind the team, certainly that involves our coaches, administrators and support staff. But thanks to the Duke Club, that team also includes the loyal support of our donors. Without them, the student-athlete experience at James Madison would not be the same.
A major emphasis of Duke Club Week this year involves spreading an understanding of the function and purpose of the Duke Club. In short, our Duke Club members are folks who recognize the value of athletics at James Madison, the value of the student-athlete experience, the importance of the life skills attributed to athletic competition and who wish for JMU to be the model in terms of our approach and our competitive excellence.
Hopefully you've had a chance to read my most recent dialogue, Money Matters, in which I shared some of the financial realities facing the university's athletics program. As outlined in that piece, we must continue to build our revenue stream in order to sustain and grow JMU Athletics. That giving comes in the form of annual donations to support student-athlete scholarships, facility funding such as our current Convocation Center project and other departmental initiatives and campaigns.
Our aspirations for JMU Athletics are high. Some of our donors are tied into our football and basketball programs, where Duke Club giving levels impact season ticket options, seating locations and parking incentives. We've seen the fruits of our labor in that realm with growth in our season ticket numbers, with football attendance that is up 16% so far in 2016 and with a vibrant fan base and gameday atmosphere that rivals any of our peers.
However, it is important to note that Duke Club giving does not support only football and basketball. At James Madison, we fund each of our programs to the NCAA maximum scholarship level and distribute our Duke Club support accordingly to aid the scholarship needs of each of those teams. That approach paid off in 2015-16 with nine programs advancing to NCAA competition and an overall departmental winning percentage that led all Division I programs in Virginia at .660.
There are many ways to get involved in the Duke Club. In addition to our general fund support, our Letterwinner Chapter focuses on former student-athletes giving back to pay it forward to the next generation of Dukes. Our DC25 Program provides a path for current students and recent graduates to start giving back early and get a head start on establishing a donor profile. The Rootin' Rewards program encourages everyone to get involved to help us to grow the Duke Club by offering incentives for cultivating new membership and annual renewals. Those are just a few examples.
It is a busy time in JMU Athletics and the sky is the limit for what we can achieve collectively. We need your support now more than ever to make that happen. Thank you to our longtime donors who have helped us get to where we are, and we appreciate the new donors who have stepped up this year. Your support makes such a difference in the lives of our student-athletes, and we truly couldn't provide that experience without you.
Go Dukes!
Jeff Bourne, Director of Athletics (@BourneJeff)
More from Duke Club Week:
What is the Duke Club?
Where does the money go?
Growing Membership
Believing in the Mission
Letterwinner Chapter
JMU Nation,
When I started as Director of Athletics at James Madison in 1999, the Duke Club was in its infancy. Our annual giving in support of student-athlete scholarships totaled about $140,000 and our operation was modest.
As we cross the mid-point of Duke Club Week, we celebrate the growth of our support wing to greater than $2 million per year in donations to our annual fund. Thanks to the steadfast commitment of the university and, in particular, Senior Vice President Charlie King, the Duke Club has come a long way in terms of staffing, resources and achievement.
When you talk about our athletics success being attributed to the team behind the team, certainly that involves our coaches, administrators and support staff. But thanks to the Duke Club, that team also includes the loyal support of our donors. Without them, the student-athlete experience at James Madison would not be the same.
A major emphasis of Duke Club Week this year involves spreading an understanding of the function and purpose of the Duke Club. In short, our Duke Club members are folks who recognize the value of athletics at James Madison, the value of the student-athlete experience, the importance of the life skills attributed to athletic competition and who wish for JMU to be the model in terms of our approach and our competitive excellence.
Hopefully you've had a chance to read my most recent dialogue, Money Matters, in which I shared some of the financial realities facing the university's athletics program. As outlined in that piece, we must continue to build our revenue stream in order to sustain and grow JMU Athletics. That giving comes in the form of annual donations to support student-athlete scholarships, facility funding such as our current Convocation Center project and other departmental initiatives and campaigns.
Our aspirations for JMU Athletics are high. Some of our donors are tied into our football and basketball programs, where Duke Club giving levels impact season ticket options, seating locations and parking incentives. We've seen the fruits of our labor in that realm with growth in our season ticket numbers, with football attendance that is up 16% so far in 2016 and with a vibrant fan base and gameday atmosphere that rivals any of our peers.
However, it is important to note that Duke Club giving does not support only football and basketball. At James Madison, we fund each of our programs to the NCAA maximum scholarship level and distribute our Duke Club support accordingly to aid the scholarship needs of each of those teams. That approach paid off in 2015-16 with nine programs advancing to NCAA competition and an overall departmental winning percentage that led all Division I programs in Virginia at .660.
There are many ways to get involved in the Duke Club. In addition to our general fund support, our Letterwinner Chapter focuses on former student-athletes giving back to pay it forward to the next generation of Dukes. Our DC25 Program provides a path for current students and recent graduates to start giving back early and get a head start on establishing a donor profile. The Rootin' Rewards program encourages everyone to get involved to help us to grow the Duke Club by offering incentives for cultivating new membership and annual renewals. Those are just a few examples.
It is a busy time in JMU Athletics and the sky is the limit for what we can achieve collectively. We need your support now more than ever to make that happen. Thank you to our longtime donors who have helped us get to where we are, and we appreciate the new donors who have stepped up this year. Your support makes such a difference in the lives of our student-athletes, and we truly couldn't provide that experience without you.
Go Dukes!
Jeff Bourne, Director of Athletics (@BourneJeff)
More from Duke Club Week:
What is the Duke Club?
Where does the money go?
Growing Membership
Believing in the Mission
Letterwinner Chapter
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