Completed Event: Men's Soccer versus South Carolina on September 28, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 1
MSOC
Final
James Madison
0
vs South Carolina
1
James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
JMU Men’s Soccer Will Compete in Sun Belt Conference
4/6/2022 12:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer, Administration
NEW ORLEANS – James Madison men's soccer will compete in the Sun Belt Conference, as the league announced on Wednesday it will be sponsoring the sport beginning in fall 2022.
Nine teams will comprise Sun Belt Conference men's soccer; three of the new Sun Belt members (as of July 1) James Madison, Marshall, and Old Dominion will join Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State. In addition, Kentucky, South Carolina, and West Virginia will compete as affiliate members for men's soccer only. The Sun Belt Conference previously sponsored men's soccer from 1976-1995 and 2014-20.
"These elite programs will lend instant credibility and help establish the Sun Belt as one of the nation's premier men's collegiate soccer conferences," said Commissioner Keith Gill. "They each bring their unique traditions and histories of excellence. We welcome them and look forward to a bright future on the pitch."
"The addition of men's soccer is an exciting extra piece of our agreement to join the Sun Belt," Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne said. "From day one, this instantly becomes one of the premier soccer conferences in the country. We expect to have multiple programs regularly in the national rankings and multiple programs capable of winning a national championship. I fully anticipate that JMU will be among the high-achieving programs in this new conference."
James Madison enters the 2022 Sun Belt season having been to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons, all under the guidance of Head Coach Paul Zazenski. He enters his fifth season at the helm of a program that has won eight conference titles and has made 17 total NCAA tournament appearances. In Zazenski's first season in 2018, the Dukes won their first Colonial Athletic Association title in four years and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the third time in program history. Since then, the Dukes have won two more titles in 2019 and 2020, marking the second time in program history that they've won three straight titles. JMU has found itself ranked in the top 25 of the coaches poll throughout the last four seasons.
"We couldn't be more excited about our move to the Sun Belt Conference for the fall of 2022," Zazenski said. "The potential for Sun Belt men's soccer is endless and will instantly consist of some of the best-run programs across the country. Instantly, the Sun Belt will give JMU men's soccer an opportunity to consistently be on the national stage competing in one of the best overall conferences year in and year out. The Sun Belt will present many new challenges along the way, but we intend to embrace those challenges head on to continue to improve our program as well as the conference overall."
Beginning July 1, 2022, the Sun Belt membership will be comprised of App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, and Troy.
Nine teams will comprise Sun Belt Conference men's soccer; three of the new Sun Belt members (as of July 1) James Madison, Marshall, and Old Dominion will join Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State. In addition, Kentucky, South Carolina, and West Virginia will compete as affiliate members for men's soccer only. The Sun Belt Conference previously sponsored men's soccer from 1976-1995 and 2014-20.
"These elite programs will lend instant credibility and help establish the Sun Belt as one of the nation's premier men's collegiate soccer conferences," said Commissioner Keith Gill. "They each bring their unique traditions and histories of excellence. We welcome them and look forward to a bright future on the pitch."
"The addition of men's soccer is an exciting extra piece of our agreement to join the Sun Belt," Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne said. "From day one, this instantly becomes one of the premier soccer conferences in the country. We expect to have multiple programs regularly in the national rankings and multiple programs capable of winning a national championship. I fully anticipate that JMU will be among the high-achieving programs in this new conference."
James Madison enters the 2022 Sun Belt season having been to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons, all under the guidance of Head Coach Paul Zazenski. He enters his fifth season at the helm of a program that has won eight conference titles and has made 17 total NCAA tournament appearances. In Zazenski's first season in 2018, the Dukes won their first Colonial Athletic Association title in four years and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the third time in program history. Since then, the Dukes have won two more titles in 2019 and 2020, marking the second time in program history that they've won three straight titles. JMU has found itself ranked in the top 25 of the coaches poll throughout the last four seasons.
"We couldn't be more excited about our move to the Sun Belt Conference for the fall of 2022," Zazenski said. "The potential for Sun Belt men's soccer is endless and will instantly consist of some of the best-run programs across the country. Instantly, the Sun Belt will give JMU men's soccer an opportunity to consistently be on the national stage competing in one of the best overall conferences year in and year out. The Sun Belt will present many new challenges along the way, but we intend to embrace those challenges head on to continue to improve our program as well as the conference overall."
Beginning July 1, 2022, the Sun Belt membership will be comprised of App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, and Troy.
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