#19 JMU Set for Friday Sun Belt Title Bout with Troy

HARRISONBURG, Va. – #19 James Madison seeks its first FBS conference championship on Friday, Dec. 5 when it hosts Troy in the 2025 Credit Union 1 Sun Belt Football Championship Presented by Visit Pensacola.

Kickoff from Bridgeforth Stadium is set for. 7 p.m. start and will be nationally televised on ESPN.

This will be JMU's inaugural appearance in the Sun Belt Football Championship, as it goes after first conference crown since the 2021 season while still in the FCS.

JMU's run through the 2025 postseason is presented by Door Gorilla.

James Madison (11-1, 8-0 SBC) vs. Troy (8-4, 6-2 Sun Belt)
Saturday, December 5, 2025
Kickoff: 7:00 PM
Harrisonburg, Va. | Bridgeforth Stadium

Game Information
TV: ESPN
Online: Watch ESPN (subscription required)
Radio: WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network
Live Stats
JMU Game Notes

JMU'S CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

JMU has won 10 conference titles in its history, with nine as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association (formerly Atlantic 10) and its first back in 1975 as a Division III squad in the Virginia College AthleticAssociation.
JMU won six CAA championships over its last seven FCS seasons, winning three straight between 2015 and 2017 and 2019 and 2021.
The Dukes won their first CAA championship in 1999 and later added titles in it 2004 national championship season and in 2008.
As JMU chases conference championship #11, it will be the first contested in a championship game format, as all previous titles were awarded based solely on regular-season finishes ahead of the FCS Playoffs.

BREAKING DOWN THE JMU-TROY SERIES

Friday marks the fourth meeting all-time between the Dukes and Trojans, with JMU leading 2-1.
The two teams have only met once as Sun Belt Conference mates, facing off two seasons ago in the league opener in Troy, Ala. - a 16-14 road win for the Dukes on Sept. 16, 2023.
Prior to JMU's FBS move, the teams split a pair of Division I-AA playoff matchups, with the home team winning each time.
JMU won the inaugural meeting, 45-26, in the first round of the 1994 playoffs, while Troy had a 27-7 victory in the opening round of the 1999 playoffs.

RUNNING THE TABLE IN CONFERENCE PLAY

Last Saturday's 59-10 victory at Coastal Carolina capped off an 8-0 Sun Belt Conference season for the Dukes, as they became just the third team to go unbeaten in conference in the league's championship game era.
It's the first time since 2021 that a team finished 8-0 in SBC play, as Louisiana went undefeated that season, while Coastal Carolina achieved the feat in 2020.
JMU is also the seventh Sun Belt team to ever finish conference play with an 8-0 mark.
This is the first time since 2019 that JMU finished undefeated in league games and the sixth time overall in the program's history.

10 STRAIGHT VICTORIES

JMU closed the regular season on a 10-game win streak to match its best regular-season record since moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The Dukes also opened the 2023 season on a 10-game win streak before splitting its final two games of the regular season.
JMU's win streak is tied for the third-longest in the country with Notre Dame and the highest by any Group of Six program by four games.
JMU also won its final five road games, which is tied for the fifth-longest active road win streak.
By virtue of winning each game since Sept. 20, JMU is the only G6 program not to lose a game toanother G6, going 10-0.
Against G6 opponents since joining the Sun Belt in 2022, JMU has gone 33-8 (.805).
The Dukes are one of just three teams to go unbeaten in conference play, as the Big Ten's Indiana and Ohio State also finished 9-0.

THIRD TIME ATOP THE SBC EAST

JMU captured its first Sun Belt Conference East Division championship with an unblemished 8-0 league record, punching its ticket to the Sun Belt Football Championship.
Prior to 2025, JMU finished atop the Sun Belt East Division during both the 2022 (6-2) and 2023 (7-1) seasons, though were not able to be crowned division champions due to FCS to FBS reclassification rules.
Had JMU been eligible, it would have gone to Troy for the 2022 championship and hosted the Trojans in 2023.
Now eligible, it is third time's the charm for JMU and Troy to meet up for the conference crown.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: ESPN
Online: Watch ESPN (cable subscription required)
Listen: Morris Insurance & Financial JMU Radio Network
On the radio – WSVA 92.1 FM/550 AM | SiriusXM 202
Online: The Varsity Network

Broadcast Talent
ESPNU: Anish Shroff (pxp), Andre Ware (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sideline)
Radio: Dave Riggert (pxp), Que Reid (analyst), Cole Potts (analyst)

Calendar

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cole Potts

JMU Footer

Scoreboard

Calendar

Completed Event: Football versus Liberty on September 5, 2026 , Win , 20, to, 13

Completed Event: Football versus Wagner on September 12, 2026 , Win , 87, to, 3

Completed Event: Football at San Diego State on September 19, 2026 , Win , 26, to, 13

Completed Event: Football at Old Dominion on September 26, 2026 , Win , 46, to, 20

Upcoming Event: Football versus Marshall on October 3, 2026 at 3:45 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at Georgia Southern on October 10, 2026 at 7 or 7:30 pm

Upcoming Event: Football versus Georgia State on October 17, 2026

Upcoming Event: Football at App State on October 22, 2026 at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football versus Troy on October 29, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at Southern Miss on November 5, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT)

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