NCAA Champion JMU Releases 2017 Football Schedule

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne announced Wednesday the 2017 football schedule, which features six home games and a non-conference road matchup at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe East Carolina.

Under the leadership of Head Coach Mike Houston, the reigning national champions' home schedule in Bridgeforth Stadium includes games against the four programs that finished second through fifth place in the Colonial Athletic Association behind the Dukes in 2016, with three of the four qualifying for the NCAA playoffs.

"After winning a national championship, there is certainly an identifiable excitement for 2017 and a vast opportunity in front of us to build on the momentum of our first season under Mike Houston," Bourne said. "Looking at 2017, we met our goal of an attractive, regional and competitive FBS opponent at East Carolina. As with every season, it is important to provide our fans with six home games. Those include two regional opponents we haven't faced in a while in Norfolk State and ETSU as well as four of the traditionally strongest teams in the CAA. As we saw this year, if we can navigate the CAA schedule successfully, JMU will be well positioned for a run at another national title."

"Anytime we're playing at Bridgeforth Stadium in front of our fans and alumni, that is certainly an advantage for us," Houston said of playing six games at home in 2017. "I think everyone can tell from the performances of our players this past season that we enjoy playing at Bridgeforth."

The Dukes begin the 2017 campaign on Sept. 2 when they travel to Greenville, N.C., to face American Athletic Conference (AAC) opponent East Carolina. It will mark the 10th straight season JMU has faced a FBS opponent and the second time in three years the Dukes play a team from the American. In 2015, JMU defeated SMU 48-45 in Dallas, Texas.

"I'll be excited to be back in my home state [of North Carolina] for another game this coming season," Houston said. "That game will garner a lot of attention being the opener for both programs. I have a couple staff members right now formerly from ECU, so I'm sure there will be added emotions. It's a matchup against a great program and an opportunity for our kids to go out against a team that plays at a very high level."

Following the opener, JMU embarks on a string of three straight home games with back-to-back non-conference contests against ETSU on Sept. 9 and Norfolk State on Sept. 16. It will be the first meeting in two decades between JMU and ETSU and the first game matching JMU with NSU. The Dukes close the home stand on Sept. 23 when they open conference play against Maine for Family Weekend.

The Dukes travel to Newark, Del., to take on Delaware on Sept. 30 before a bye week during the first weekend of October. JMU hosts Villanova on Oct. 14, followed by a road game at William & Mary on Oct. 21. James Madison closes the month with a rematch from the second round of the 2016 FCS Playoffs when it takes on New Hampshire for Homecoming.

November features a pair of road games and a home rivalry matchup. JMU travels to Kingston, R.I., for a Nov. 4 date with Rhode Island before returning home to play Richmond on Nov. 11 for senior day. The regular season concludes Nov. 18 at Elon.

"We'll treat our schedule the same way we do every year. Our goal is to win the CAA championship and we're going to take it one game at a time. We'll focus on that one game each week and that will be the biggest game of the year for us. It's going to be a tough slate, there's no doubt about it. It's not something you can take a look at the whole thing and start worrying about it all at once. You have to focus on the game right in front of you, so for us, the only game that matters is ECU."

The 2017 playoffs begin Nov. 25 and Dec. 2 with the first and second rounds. The quarterfinals are set for Dec. 8 and 9 and semifinals for Dec. 15 and 16. The 2018 NCAA Division I national championship game will be played Jan. 6, 2018, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

Season Tickets on Sale Now
Season tickets for the 2017 JMU football season are on sale now. Both new and returning season ticket accounts are encouraged to order season tickets before the May 15 priority deadline. Returning season ticket holders must renew by May 15 to keep their same seats while new season tickets ordered by the priority deadline will receive the best available tickets and parking. Season tickets can be ordered online, by calling 540-568-3853 or by visiting the Athletic Ticket Office in the Convocation Center.

A variety of season ticket packages are available to help fans catch the Dukes in action next fall. Options range from the premium game day experience of the Bridgeforth Club or the affordable Aramark Family Plan, which includes parking and tickets for four as well as concessions for only $400. Great midfield seating options are also available with the chairback and priority season ticket packages. New for next season are expanded public seating options. Sections 302, 303, 312, 405, and 407 are now available for public seating purchase.

All season ticket packages include a complimentary game-day parking pass for on-campus tailgating, which begins at 8 a.m. on every home Saturday. Parking lot assignments are determined according to 2017 Duke Club giving levels and include premium parking within easy walking distance of the stadium. Parking locations are selected and assigned prior to every season during the Duke Club Priority Reparking process in order of Duke Club priority point rank.

Duke Club Giving
The Duke Club is the fundraising arm of JMU Athletics and has the responsibility for our over 400 student-athletes on and off the field through scholarship opportunities and budget support through donations from our fans. Becoming a 2017 member allows you to expand your passion for the Dukes. Each tax deductible gift helps support JMU student-athletes while providing great donor benefits and improved season ticket and parking locations for football and basketball. Visit jmudukeclub.com for more information and ways to donate.

2017 JMU Football Schedule

Sept. 2	at East Carolina
Sept. 9	ETSU
Sept. 16	NORFOLK STATE
Sept. 23	*MAINE (Family Weekend)**
Sept. 30	at Delaware *
Oct. 7	OFF
Oct. 14	VILLANOVA *
Oct. 21	at William & Mary
Oct. 28	*NEW HAMPSHIRE (Homecoming)**
Nov. 4	at Rhode Island *
Nov. 11	RICHMOND *
Nov. 18	at Elon *
Nov. 25	FCS Playoffs First Round
Dec. 2	FCS Playoffs Second Round
Dec. 8/9	FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals
Dec. 15/16	FCS Playoffs Semifinals
Jan. 6	NCAA Division I Championship Game