JMU Announces 12-Game Slate for 2019 Football Season

HARRISONBURG, Va. – James Madison has announced its 2019 football schedule, which features 12 games, including six at home and a season-opening road trip to a Big 12 institution.

"We're excited to be back at Bridgeforth Stadium for six home games in 2019, that's the biggest thing," Head Coach Mike Houston said. "This schedule is a bit more challenging, opening with West Virginia, which should be a top-25 team next year."

The Dukes open the 2019 campaign on Aug. 31 with a trip to Morgantown, W.Va., to face the Mountaineers in their first game ever against a team from the Big 12. It marks the 12th straight season JMU has faced an FBS opponent and the 28th game overall.

Following WVU, JMU opens the Bridgeforth Stadium slate with back-to-back home games. The Dukes host Saint Francis out of the Northeast Conference on Sept. 7 for the Duke Club game, followed by a matchup against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference foe Morgan State on Sept. 14.

The Dukes begin a three-week road swing on Sept. 21 when they head to the site of their 2004 national championship win at Chattanooga. It will be the first meeting between JMU and the Southern Conference member out of Tennessee and begins a home-and-home, as Chattanooga makes a return trip to Harrisonburg in 2020.

"Taking on what is likely to be a playoff team out of the Southern Conference in Chattanooga, which has a tremendous football tradition, will be a premiere non-conference game for our program and our fan base," Houston said. "Then we have always-tough CAA schedule. From top-to-bottom, it's a good schedule because we'll have sturdy competition both in and out of conference. We're excited about the schedule but we have to take care of this year first."

JMU opens Colonial Athletic Association play with trips to Elon on Sept. 28 and Stony Brook on Oct. 5. The following weekend, Villanova comes to town for Family Weekend on Oct. 12. After a trip to William & Mary on Oct. 19, the Dukes face Towson for Homecoming on Oct. 26. That game opens a three-game homestand for JMU.

The final month of the regular season sees JMU taking on New Hampshire on Nov. 9 and Senior Day will be Nov. 16 against Richmond. It will be the second time in three years that JMU hosts UR in its final home game. The regular season concludes on Nov. 23 when the Dukes fly north to take on Rhode Island on Nov. 23.

The 2019 JMU football season is presented by CarMax. More information about 2019 football ticket packages will be available in mid-November at which point the JMU Athletic Ticket office will begin accepting deposits for 2019 season tickets.

2019 JMU Football Schedule

Aug. 31	at West Virginia	Morgantown, W.Va.
Sept. 7	Saint Francis (Duke Club Weekend)	Harrisonburg, Va.
Sept. 14	Morgan State (Hall of Fame)	Harrisonburg, Va.
Sept. 21	at Chattanooga	Chattanooga, Tenn.
Sept. 28	at Elon *	Elon, N.C.
Oct. 5	at Stony Brook *	Stony Brook, N.Y.
Oct. 12	*Villanova (Family Weekend)**	Harrisonburg, Va.
Oct. 19	at William & Mary *	Williamsburg, Va.
Oct. 26	*Towson (Homecoming)**	Harrisonburg, Va.
Nov. 2	BYE WEEK
Nov. 9	New Hampshire *	Harrisonburg, Va.
Nov. 16	*Richmond (Football Alumni Weekend)**	Harrisonburg, Va.
Nov. 23	at Rhode Island *	Kingston, R.I.
Nov. 30	FCS Playoffs First Round
Dec. 7	FCS Playoffs Second Round
Dec. 13-14	FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals
Dec. 20-21	FCS Playoffs Semifinals
Jan. 11	2020 NCAA Division I Championship Game	Frisco, Texas