HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne on Thursday announced the school's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents over the next three years with games at East Carolina, North Carolina State and West Virginia.
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JMU's upcoming FBS foes hail from the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Big 12 Conference, and all three games are no more than 300 miles away from Harrisonburg. The Dukes will travel to East Carolina on Sept. 2, 2017, N.C. State on Sept. 1, 2018 and West Virginia on Aug. 31, 2019.
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"We are pleased to announce our future FBS opponents for the next three years," Bourne said. "We strive to schedule one FBS game per season as part of our scheduling philosophy. It provides a competitive opportunity that enhances the experience of our student-athletes and supports the department's needs for revenue generation. All three games also fit into a geographic footprint that allows JMU fans to travel and support our program."
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"My teams have always enjoyed playing in those types of environments and it's something we look forward to each season," Head Coach Mike Houston said. "JMU has seen success against FBS teams and I look forward to having our program showcased against quality opponents. It's also great for the fans that all three games are geographically close, so we're excited to see JMU Nation in big numbers at our future FBS games."
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JMU has not previously faced ECU or N.C. State but will face WVU for the third time. The last time JMU played West Virginia (2012), the game took place at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., home of the Washington Redskins.
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The Dukes have played 24 games against FBS opponents since 1979, going 5-19 in those contests. JMU plays its 25th FBS game on Saturday, Sept. 17 when it travels to Chapel Hill, N.C. to battle North Carolina out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. JMU has notched a pair of wins against ACC teams with a 21-17 win at Virginia in 1982 and a 21-16 triumph at Virginia Tech in 2010.
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In its most recent FBS matchup in 2015, JMU set a program record for total offense and quarterback Vad Lee became the first player in NCAA Division I history to rush and pass for 275 yards in the same game to down SMU 48-45 in Dallas.
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The Dukes have played an FBS game every season since 2007, playing teams out of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, American Athletic Conference and the Mid-American Conference.
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The JMU ticket office will have an allotment of tickets for each game, which will go on sale July 1 prior to each season.
 East Carolina Quick Facts
Date of Game: Sept. 2, 2017
Location: Greenville, N.C.
Facility: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000)
Conference: American Athletic Conference
 North Carolina State Quick Facts
Date of Game: Sept. 1, 2018
Location: Raleigh, N.C.
Facility: Carter-Finley Stadium (57,583)
Conference: Atlantic Coast Conference
 West Virginia Quick Facts
Date of Game: Aug. 31, 2019
Location: Morgantown, W.Va.
Facility: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000)
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