Bridgeforth Stadium Ready for 2024 JMU Football Season

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Every new season at James Madison's Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field carries changes and tweaks to present the best college football environment in the country, and the 2024 campaign is no different as the Dukes embark on their first season under Head Coach Bob Chesney.

As announced Monday morning, tickets for the Sept. 7 home opener are sold out, as are non-student tickets for the Sept. 28 Family Weekend game vs. Ball State. The next game with available tickets through the JMU Ticket Office is Oct. 10 vs. Coastal Carolina. All games, including the two September contests, may have ticket availability via SeatGeek, the official secondary ticket marketplace of JMU Athletics.

What's New in 2024

Welcome to FBS – James Madison University officially completed its reclassification to the FBS level in August of 2024, signifying that it is now fully FBS in all operational aspects, including full eligibility for the Sun Belt Championship game, any bowl game and the College Football Playoff.
Cashless Operations – Beginning with the 2024 season, all transactions at Bridgeforth Stadium will require a credit or debit card or mobile pay. This includes ticket operations, the team store and concessions.
New field-level ticket options:
- JMU Athletics added two 14-person field suites in the Northeast corner of the stadium. These are season-long suite arrangements, similar to the suite level of the stadium's West stands.
- A new 20-person field level group area was also added in the Southeast corner of the field below sections seven and eight. This standing-room-only selection is available on a game-by-game basis.
- For more information and availability for both new field-level options, please contact the JMU Ticket Office at 540-568-3853 or by email at athletic-ticket@jmu.edu.
Game management changes:
- Beginning with the 2024 season, college football has implemented coach-to-player helmet communication, similar to what is utilized in the NFL.
- College football has also added in-game video availability in the team areas with sideline tablets.
- Also similar to the NFL, college football has added an enforced timeout at the two-minute mark of the second and fourth quarters. This replaces a timeout under the previous broadcast timeout format and is not an additional timeout.
Thursday Night Football – JMU will host its first nationally-televised midweek game when it hosts Coastal Carolina in a Sun Belt Conference game on Thursday, Oct. 10. The university issued a notice of operational updates in order to strike the best balance between campus operations and football game day operations.
Projectiles – While not a new regulation, the Sun Belt Conference reinforced its rule over the summer that projectiles of any kind are not to be thrown onto the field and could result in stadium removal or, in some instances, an enforced penalty during a game. Of particular note to JMU fans, this includes the throwing of streamers onto the field and, in particular, in team bench areas. Traditions are important for college football, and streamers have long been an exciting feature of JMU Nation. Fans are reminded that streamers cannot leave the seating area. Fans are also encouraged to familiarize themselves with rules and prohibited items at visiting venues prior to making plans to carry streamers into other stadiums.

General Reminders for Visiting Bridgeforth Stadium

Pregame
- For fastest gate entry, remember to download your tickets to the JMU Sports app or to your mobile wallet before you head to the stadium. Please also remember to print your parking pass before you leave home.
- JMU hosts one of the best game day environments in the country. As fans enjoy pregame festivities, please be reminded of tailgating policies and respectful behavior.
- Reserved parking lots open at 8 a.m. and close two hours after the game (with the exception of the Oct. 10 Thursday night game, with vacated parking required one hour postgame). Student parking is available in the R1 lot. RV parking is available in R4 with guests asked to make arrangements in advance by calling the JMU Ticket Office at 540-568-3853 or by email at athletic-ticket@jmu.edu. More information on football parking is available at JMUSports.com.
- JMU works with the city of Harrisonburg to operate an extensive game day shuttle system with most shuttles delivering to the Godwin Transit Center. For convenience, a fan drop off area is also available in front of Hartman Hall.
- The JMU football team will be dropped off near the end of P Lot close to Duke Dog Alley and will walk among fans en route to the Plecker Athletic Performance Center two hours and 40 minutes pregame.
- The JMU Fan Zone is located on the Godwin Hall patio area adjacent to F Lot and offers a variety of games and interactive areas prior to entering the stadium from 2.5 hours to 30 minutes pregame.
- The JMU ROTC will fire a cannon shot one hour pregame, signaling for fans to make their way to the stadium. The best way to avoid entry lines is to enter the stadium early.
Inside Bridgeforth Stadium
- Fans needing assistance prior to or upon entering Bridgeforth Stadium can call 540-568-4381 or text "DUKES" to 78247. Fans can also visit a guest services booth outside or inside the stadium.
- Gates open 90 minutes prior to kickoff, and there are multiple gates available to enter Bridgeforth Stadium. To aid the most efficient entry into the stadium, fans should review the best gate to access their specific seating location.
- JMU uses metal detectors and requires clear bags for entry into Bridgeforth Stadium. More information on both is available at JMUSports.com.
- JMU is home to the best marching band in college football, and fans are encouraged to once again enjoy performances by the Marching Royal Dukes pregame, at halftime and postgame.
- JMU has offered alcohol sales at Bridgeforth Stadium for over five seasons with locations available throughout the season. Beginning in 2023, fans were no longer required to attain a wristband prior to alcohol sales and instead must show an ID at the point of sale.
- JMU also revamped its concessions setup in 2023 with the goal of faster transactions and more locations. Further tweaks have been made prior to the 2024 season to add even more "grab and go" transaction offerings while also incorporating the new "cashless" financial operations.
- A full stadium amenities map is available at JMUSports.com.
- A variety of other stadium entry and amenity topics are covered on the Bridgeforth Stadium policies page.
- At the conclusion of the game, prior to the MRD postgame performance, join the JMU football team members and the band in singing the alma mater.
Other reminders
- All campus roads switch to one-way traffic to allow fans to vacate campus following football games.
- Kickoff times are announced by ESPN and the Sun Belt Conference 12 days prior to all JMU football games.