The Shadow
NEW YORK – James Madison football enters the 2026 season with votes in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, as announced by the Associated Press on Monday afternoon.
The Dukes earned three points, while fellow Sun Belt Conference member Louisiana picked up four points. Looking ahead at JMU’s schedule, Liberty notched a point, with the two teams facing one another on Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Dukes host the Flames in a noon kickoff on ESPNU at Bridgeforth Stadium.
Earlier in August, JMU received votes in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, totaling six points.
JMU was ranked for the final six weeks of the 2025 season, finishing No. 19 in the final poll after winning the Sun Belt Championship and reaching the College Football Playoff.
The Dukes, led by first-year Head Coach Billy Napier, added 61 newcomers for the 2026 campaign, including 39 transfers and 22 high school seniors. James Madison returns 34 letterwinners and five starters from its 2025 roster.
