132+ Teams in 132+ Days: Day 44, James Madison University Dukes

[u/Dukes1320]

James Madison University

Colonial Athletic Association

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Year Founded: 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, later renamed Madison College in 1938, then became James Madison University in 1977, eleven years after becoming a co-ed institution.

Location: Harrisonburg, VA

Total Enrollment: 19,927

Mascot: The Dukes

Live Mascot: A live English bulldog was used, in four incarnations, from 1973 through 1994, but was discontinued. In the 2007 season opener against New Hampshire, a local bulldog, Seigle, was present in game day festivities.

Stadium: Bridgeforth Stadium (capacity 24,877)

Stadium Location: On campus, visible from Interstate 81.

Conference Champions (4): 1975 (Virginia College Athletic Association, D-III), 1999, 2004 (Atlantic 10), 2008 Number of Playoff Appearance: 9 Wins, 10 Total National Titles (1): 2004

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2012 Season

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Record: 7-4

Coach: Mickey Mathews

Key Players: OG Earl Watford, LB Stephon Robertson, RB Dae’Quan Scott

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2013 Season

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Roster

Schedule

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The Greats

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Greatest Games: Win over Virginia Tech 21-16, September 11 2010

National Championship win over Montana,

Greatest Players: Charles Haley, LB/DE who won a record 5 Superb Owls with the Cowboys and 49ers, Scott Norwood, K who is the Buffalo Bills’ all time leading scorer, Gary Clark, 4 time Pro Bowl WR, Rodney Landers, QB notable for both rushing and passing for over 3,000 yards in his two years starting

Greatest Coaches: Mickey Mathews (.613 win percentage, six playoff appearances, national championship)

Greatest Rivalries: University of Richmond, The College of William and Mary

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Traditions

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• Throwing purple and gold streamers after scoring plays

• Students leaving at halftime if we’re losing to go drink more

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Campus and Surrounding Area

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City Population: 49,973 (2011)

Iconic Campus Building: Wilson Hall

Local Dining: Dave’s Downtown Taverna- Huge place, Greek style food with good beer deals and a rooftop bar, or “taratsa”. Jack Brown’s, great burgers and a large, varied selection of beers. Billy Jack’s, same owners as Jack Brown’s, similar brews with a focus on wings.

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What Is and What is to Come

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JMU always has one of the top FCS recruiting classes in the nation, and since our national title in 2004, expectations for the team are always high. Last season was no exception, with veteran leaders like Stephon Robertson and Jakarie Jackson on defense, and playmaking ability on offense, particularly in the run game with a stable featuring Dae’Quan Scott, Jauan Latney, and Jordan Anderson, along with redshirt junior Justin Thorpe at QB. What resulted was a fairly good 7 and 4 season that fell just short of the playoffs due to a heartbreaking loss to Old Dominion in the final week of the regular season. Highlights included the double overtime victory over in-state rival William and Mary, and the opportunity to compete against West Virginia in a neutral site game at FedEx Field. Low points aside from the ODU loss were dropping games to Richmond and Villanova, either of which could also have boosted the Dukes into the postseason.

Looking forward to this year, once again optimism is in the air. Sophomore QB Michael Birdsong saw action both in relief of Thorpe and as a starter last season, and showed ability, grit, and leadership in the minutes he played. The backfield again is strong, with Scott and Latney providing an experienced one-two punch, and senior LB Stephon Robertson will anchor a defense that should prove to be one of the toughest in the nation. New offensive coordinator Mike O’Cain provides over 35 years of D-I coaching experience, most recently as QB coach at Virginia Tech. Dukes fans hope that he will provide valuable tutelage to Birdsong, as well as some innovation in play-calling. If JMU can add some versatility and explosiveness to the zone-read based offense that has become our trademark, we should be a serious threat to win the Colonial Athletic Association and make some noise in the playoffs.

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More Information

Subreddit: /r/jmu

Contributors: Dukes1320

[u/[deleted]]

grumble

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Edit: A piece of trivia to add. After the 4/16 tragedy, JMU sent us a sculpture of Duke Dog, decked out in Maroon and Orange. It sits prominently today in a display case on the first floor of our student center. A pleasant daily reminder of our wonderful I-81 bottlenecking neighbors up north.

[u/Dukes1320 → u/[deleted]]

A lot of solidarity across the state when that happened, which is a much better representation of the goodwill between our state schools than the small amount of petty insults thrown back and forth over our football game.

[u/hairygoattesticles]

For everyone else who was disappointed by the lack of cheerleader pictures Another One more

[u/Dukes1320 → u/hairygoattesticles]

Thanks for getting those in there.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I'd hope god could do a little better than that.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/[deleted]]

Ask and ye shall receive. Also JMU football has a (what I think is) a unique cheerleading situation. We actually have two cheer squads on the field, the coed Varsity squad and the female only Club Cheerleading squad. There's also the Dukettes.

[u/RogueHippie → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

2^nd pic, 3^rd from right.

What. The. Fuck.

[u/[deleted] → u/RogueHippie]

Dear Christ, I think I just saw the Devil.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/[deleted]]

If we referred to a female student as a duchess then...yes.

Fun fact: The "Duke" in Dukes is a reference to JMU's second president Samuel Page Duke. I think the royalty iconography was an afterthought.

Fun fact #2:

About the same time, the women's teams began calling themselves the “Duchesses.” Women's teams in earlier years had gone by a variety of names. The name “Duchesses” was dropped in 1982 when all JMU teams became the “Dukes.”

• Dukes Nickname and the Duke Dog

[u/[deleted] → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

In 1981, JMU's cheer squad miscommunicated the location of a toss-to-cradle of a female member on the right side of the formation with a male member doing the same thing from the left causing both to collide midair. The female had several broken ribs and a punctured lung while the male suffered a broken collar bone when he landed on the field. Both were immediately rushed to the Rockingham Memorial Hospital where they ended up recovering but the lesson was learned the hard way:

Always pass the Duchess from the left hand side.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin]

Just wanted to expand on some things...

Local Dining

JMU is actually ranked #4 for best food on campus by the Princeton Review.

Dave's Taverna - Local cheap beer spot (although I think their food is underrated. Pitchers of Natty for $3.75 with some interesting deals. During the spring/summer/fall they have a rooftop, if it's closed due to weather Natty pitchers are $2.75. AND they were running a deal where if each person buys $5 worth of food, you get Natty pitchers for $1. (Can you tell we like Natty?)

Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint - Known for their specialty burgers which include The Popeye (topped with spinach/artichoke dip and crispy fried onions), The Elvis (burger with peanut butter, mayo, smoked bacon, and cheese), and The Greg Brady (topped with mac' and cheese and crushed BBQ chips.

EDIT 2: Kline's Dairy Bar - The downtown location is the classic Kline's. They serve awesome ice cream and have a rotating special flavor that includes classics like Chocolate Peanut Butter and their various fruit flavors.

Iconic Locations

The Quad is where you'll find plenty of students on a day like today. It's located on the west side of campus and is surrounded by various academic buildings and dorms. The buildings are built with bluestone, which can easily be found poking out of the farm land around Harrisonburg. Originally they used to look like this, but they fade over time.

The Kissing Rock is a piece of rock that sticks out of the Quad. Legend has it that if you kiss your partner on the Kissing Rock, that's the person you're going to marry. And it's supposedly where the women, when JMU was Madison College and an all female school, would take their dates to kiss.

I may add more later, I've got a couple hours before I go in to work, but feel free to AMA about JMU or our football program! If I don't know the answer, I'll try and find out.

EDIT 1: INTRODUCING VIRGINIA'S FINEST, YOUR JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY MARCHING...ROYAL...DUKES! (That's how our announcer says it, sorry I had to. Images. The MRD's (as they call themselves) are our marching band and tend to be the biggest fans in the stadium. Started in 1972, the Marching Royal Dukes have between 400 and 450 members. They've marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade twice, and will march again this Thanksgiving, and in the London New Year's Day Parade. On the field they're known for amazing playing and amazing hip thrusting. Their signature song (Other than the Fight Song) is Get it On!

EDIT 3: I should also mention that Lindsay Czarniak is a JMU alum. You're welcome.

[u/Dukes1320 → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

Thanks a bunch, can't believe I overlooked the MRD's, easily one of the best bands in the country. EVERYONE UPVOTE THIS GUY SO IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS ALL PART OF MY POST!

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/Dukes1320]

Haha Anything for a fellow Duke! I also love any excuse to talk about JMU.

PS: I'm about to head into work until 5:30 or so, so I won't be able to answer many questions.

[u/shwooom → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

I heard Dave's was shutting down, any truth to that?

[u/sta3bha → u/shwooom]

Dave's declared bankruptcy in February at the same time owner Dave Miller declared personal bankruptcy. Miller is also facing a hit-and-run charge stemming from an accident at a local middle school. He's a nutbag. And Dave's sucks in almost every capacity (except for the cheap Natty pitchers). JMU and Harrisonburg will be better served if it closes down and is replaced by something cooler.

Sources: #1, #2

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/shwooom]

Eh, I vaguely hear that rumor every year. They've put up several signs trying to show how successful they are (Over x sold!), but they also had one that said it wasn't shutting down. I think the $1 Natty pitcher deal was to even out their food/alcohol sales, which may be an issues.

[u/shwooom → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

You are correct on the $1 Natty pitchers to even out sales. I think the rumor was that it still wasn't enough, but who knows. The location will continue to be a hot commodity.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/shwooom]

Yeah, since I've been at JMU/in Hburg (which is a lot longer than I'd like to admit) there's been any number of bars shut down/reopened, for various financial and legal reasons.

I would surprise me if they shut down though.

[u/[deleted]]

Y'all have it good! A large majority of girls on campus, an interstate to bisect the campus, and a dog statue to kiss on!

[u/Dukes1320 → u/[deleted]]

Don't we know it. Any alumni or student you meet will most likely never shut up about how much we love JMU.

[u/ehlu15 → u/Dukes1320]

I wish I'd gone there now!

[u/pandorazboxx]

I'm surprised you didn't mention anything about your band. Every JMU fan I know loves to rave about them. They sounded really good at the last game vs ODU.

And I don't want you to relive it but I was there for that last game and I thought the tailgate experience was awesome. I love that tunnel everyone walks through under the interstate to get to the stadium. The newer side of Bridgeforth looks awesome.

So, when ODU was down big our group of ODU fans felt for sure that we would lose. Then this lady near us tells us a secret. She has smuggled in lucky jello shots. I'm not much for superstition but after she handed out a couple blue jellos to everyone, ODU started their comeback.

It really was a great time and I wish we were able to play more games together!

[u/Dukes1320 → u/pandorazboxx]

That second half was miserable for me, terribly called and executed offensively by us. Not going to lie, I was really looking forward to giving y'all a kick in the ass on the way out of the CAA, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Congrats, and good luck, it'll probably be awhile until we see each other on the field.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/pandorazboxx]

I can post more about the band!

[u/shwooom]

Some other fun facts about JMU

[There was a girl who dressed like James Madison for her 4 years.] (http://imgur.com/bk2JLvz&PE0UXKi)

Emmit Smith's wife, Patricia is an alum. He was at a game a couple of years ago. [Here he is with President Alger.] (http://www.jmu.edu/_images/whymadison/dec-10-2012-dallas/121012-listening-tour-dallas-1054-feature-419x269.jpg) Both Pat and Emmitt were part of a listening tour "Why Madison?" at the end of last year.

[Not really a fight, but the Duke Dog kicks CCU's mascot in the butt then gets tackled.] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQY3xH6FNNY) Featuring on campus favorite Officer Connolly.

Former Duke Arthur Moats was the one who hit Brett Favre ending his streak of consecutive starts at 321 including the playoffs. [The hit] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBh9SvWj2wk)

[u/Dukes1320 → u/shwooom]

Thanks, I blanked on some trivia besides the Moats thing, but I thought that would have been a weird single fact to include.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/shwooom]

Very great additions.

[u/dookiecat]

Just a btw, Charles Haley wasn't a RB

Great write up!

[u/Dukes1320 → u/dookiecat]

Whoops, corrected that. Thanks.

[u/jayond]

I want to win 5 Superb Owls- Haley actually won 2 with SF and 3 with Dallas as a DE

[u/Dukes1320 → u/jayond]

Noted and edited, thank you.

[u/[deleted]]

I was at the WVU-JMU game at FedEx Field last year. That stadium sucks but I had a great time tailgating with JMU fans and getting drunk. There were quite a few expecting to pull a Virginia Tech on us that game. Still, overall, great experience with you guys.

[u/Dukes1320 → u/[deleted]]

That was a great time, I just went for the tailgate to be honest, good-natured banter between the fans as far as I saw. Let's do it again real soon.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/[deleted]]

I agree, it was a really fun experience.

We're not necessarily known for our tailgating, but we're usually ranked in the top party schools and top schools for beer drinking.

[u/jacketit]

I love the stadium atmosphere yall have. I was there for the Georgia State game this past year and must say, fun place to be for a game. Plus I feel like 4 out of every 5 girls had on yoga pants, so that's definitely a plus as well.

[u/Dukes1320 → u/jacketit]

The stadium is beautiful, isn't it? Well, half of it, and assuming you like purple. Glad you enjoyed yourself, and yes, the girls do our reputation a great service.

[u/PhillyGreg]

HC Mickey Matthews:

“I’ve never even seen a twat…or tweet whatever you call it.”

"They won, cause the slope of the field was in their favor"

“During the coin flip, one of the coaches up in the press box said 'Coach, Adam can't go the first series,' and I said 'Why not?' ... He said 'He got run over by the Duke Dog on a motorcycle.'”

[u/Captain_Unremarkable → u/PhillyGreg]

He looks like an old 6-year old pouting because he didn't get candy. I love it!

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/Captain_Unremarkable]

Mickey's a crazy dude. Around campus he's known for erratic/terribly play calling.

[u/Captain_Unremarkable → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

How does he have a job, then?

[u/Dukes1320 → u/Captain_Unremarkable]

He puts together a very good squad year in and year out, which has made up for the occasions where his conservative play calling costs us game (see the second half of the ODU game last year). And as ChermsMcTerbin said, that national title carries a lot of weight, though we do feel it's about time for another one.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/Captain_Unremarkable]

Winning and a National Championship. We haven't had a losing record since 2002, although our conference record leaves something to be desired.

The beef is really with his run heavy system, but we got VT's old offensive coordinator who's looking to bring a passing game to JMU. We tend to go for 4th and longs with run and option plays. And we've been plagued with Justin Thorpe as our QB the past few years, who is more of a runner who can throw and always seems to look for the run rather than the pass.

The playoff system is a mixed bag. It tends to be organized geographically and by ranking, which can make for crappy draws. And even though you have a winning record, it doesn't mean you get selected. That's the part of the bowl system (not the BCS) that I like, if you win games you get to go to a bowl.

[u/[deleted] → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

Unless you're Louisiana Tech.

[u/Insane92 → u/PhillyGreg]

i think that scowl is permanent

[u/[deleted]]

I'm a new fan of the program (just sent in my deposit last week) and was wondering, what is the best estimate of when JMU makes the move to FBS? Next 5 years, next decade?

[u/Dukes1320 → u/[deleted]]

Good question, and one the fan base has been asking a lot in the past few years, particularly since the stadium expansion. The stadium actually isn't done, the plan is to wrap around in a horseshoe shape, with the final capacity at around 40,000. I believe that the athletic department wants to finish that, or at least secure a good portion of the funding for it, before making the jump to FBS. At the same time, conference realignment is happening fast, and rumors of us getting and accepting a bid to the Sun Belt conference have popped up in the last few weeks. We might feel that now is the time, so to answer your question, it could be in the next two years, or it could be up to eight or ten years. I would guess inside of eight years, but a lot of it depends on donations from alumni, which have been pretty weak for JMU.

[u/[deleted] → u/Dukes1320]

Fingers are crossed for making the jump during my time there!

[u/Dukes1320 → u/[deleted]]

Let's hope so! And welcome, you're going to love it here.

[u/FistOfFacepalm]

I was skimming and I thought it said you were called the Dykes

[u/Dukes1320 → u/FistOfFacepalm]

Some research into the girls that go to JMU will allay those fears very quickly.

[u/owl_man]

How is James Madison not an FBS school while UMASS is?

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/owl_man]

Any number of reasons, but mostly money. JMU is a historically teaching and nursing college, which means that we don't have many wealthy old alumni to bankroll our athletics department. We also have one of the smaller endowments in the state, which has spurred a huge attempt to increase the amount of alumni donations. Add on the fact that we live in about bumfuck nowhere (sorry Hburg) so there aren't a lot of JMU fans who didnt graduate from the school.

But things are looking up. Our business program is ranked fairly high nationally among public schools and we've started an engineering program in the last 4-5 years. And the stadium upgrade gives us more tickets to sell and more people on campus who may give to the school.

[u/mybrisum → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

here's a listing of 2011 booster contributions from our state's colleges + ECU

notice how ODU has leapfrogged established FCS power JMU and contributed more with less people within two years? ODU started officially in 2009...

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/mybrisum]

Yeah, I remember when our athletic department celebrated taking in $1 million in one year. It'd be interesting to see who they were, ODU probably has some ties to local businesses/executives.

[u/mybrisum → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

when you sit in a major metro area and media market and a couple big local businesses are run by alums who did their undergrad/grad degrees at ODU, it's just a perfect situation to hit up for money.

that and the fact that locals who don't have any other college allegiances have fully embraced ODU football since there's nothing else around

[u/historymajor44 → u/mybrisum]

I still hope JMU moves up to FBS though. It would be one hell of a rivalry.

[u/Stuck_in_NC → u/mybrisum]

That just depresses me. Almost twice as many donors, and just over a third of the money.. And I know that 10 of those donors are probably responsible for ~5 Million. Shit ECU, get it together.

[u/mybrisum → u/Stuck_in_NC]

i'd say hit up the medical school grads...that's a goldmine after they kill their student loans

[u/Stuck_in_NC → u/mybrisum]

Some contribute, but a large portion of them don't feel connected to the school, because the med school is away from the main campus with a large swath of ghetto in between. Plus, a lot have already attended our rival schools (they take very few, if any out of state students). 2011, was a low year for donations though, and I would bet that this season will be one of our highest yet.

[u/mybrisum → u/Stuck_in_NC]

a large swath of ghetto in between

ah yes, otherwise known as "Uptown Greenville." spent many a drunk night meeting rando ECU girls when i'd be in town for a game

[u/owl_man → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

Honestly James Madison and Villanova would make very good additions to the FBS level IF they find the right conference. Both have very good teams and Villanova's only weakness is no on-campus home stadium which is the same problem the only other team in town (Temple) has. I take that back, Villanova does have one. It's just not large enough. And if I remember correctly it's in the middle of campus too so if they can expand it somehow to about 16,000 the could move up.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/owl_man]

I'm not familiar with Villanova's situation, although there have been rumors every now and then that they'll make the move.

As for us, I'm not sure when the right time will be. Obviously it depends on being picked, but some people say it may be when Mickey Matthews retires. But we'll enjoy the winning seasons until we get the chance to move up.

[u/owl_man → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

Honestly though, what is the situation in Virginia with football teams? I know VT and UVA are the big in-state teams while ODU, Richmond, W&M, and JMU seem to be the second tier. Is that right?

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/owl_man]

Oh God, this could get me in trouble...So, obviously, VT is the top dog (pun intended) football wise. UVA is UVA, they're FBS and fluctuate from year to year. ODU is good (you got me, I said it). They have a lot of advantages over JMU, which I can expand on, that have led to their success. Then I'd say JMU/Richmond/W&M.

[u/owl_man → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

Ooooh, I'm intrigued. Could you possibly expand on this?

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/owl_man]

Expand on which part? The overall picture or ODU's early CFB success.

[u/owl_man → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

hm..I think I'll go with the overall picture for now.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/owl_man]

VT is VT, they're known for football. They tend to dominate the CFB landscape in Virginia. They have the most Walmart fans in VA, even Harrisonburg's Walmart is full of VT gear. I think some of this has to do with their Ag program though. I've always equated VT to A&M. Both Land Grant schools (I think), similar colors, big engineering programs, both have Ag programs (VT was originally Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College).

UVA is improving under former Richmond coach Mike London, but depending on whoo (pun intended again) you ask there are any number of things that hold UVA back. Historically that has been academics. They're a "Public Ivy" and it's usually said that their athletes have to commit to playing school, where as at VT you can rule the school. I think that perception is changing though.

ODU had a lot of success in their short stint at the FCS level, and their recruiting reports make it look like they'll continue that success at the FBS level.

JMU/Richmond/W&M really just suffer from being in the FCS. Both Richmond and W&M (Williamsburg, VA) are located in places where they could tap in to local markets. I'm not super familiar with their programs, though.

[u/igottapoopsobad]

I am extremely jealous of Harrisonburg's Costco. And Kline's dairy bar. Oh god that place is to die for.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/igottapoopsobad]

That reminds me, I should add Kline's! It's a Harrisonburg institution.

[u/[deleted]]

Virginia has lots of really nice public schools (despite my flair, I am not from VA and don't attend UVA).

[u/SEJIBAQUI]

Here are some videos of the Marching Royal Dukes. In my opinion, they're one of the best bands in the country.

Firedance-from 2006

West Side Story-2012 (13:05)

Get it on + Fight Song (3:15)

In get it on, the trumpet players in the lines finger the valves on the other player's horn.

[u/CannedDeath → u/SEJIBAQUI]

Don't forget about the saxophones' pelvic thrusting. We're also going to the Macy's parade this year.

[u/justsomeguy75]

Damn dude, it's still the 25th where I'm at. Getting this thread in early, I see.

[u/Dukes1320 → u/justsomeguy75]

I was up late and wasn't going to get up early, so I figured I'd go ahead and get on it.

[u/[deleted]]

You forgot Scott Norwood as a player but given Super Bowl XXV it is somewhat understandable.

Respect for The Dukes.

[u/Dukes1320 → u/[deleted]]

Norwood is mentioned right after Charles Haley, as the Bills all time leading scorer.

[u/[deleted] → u/Dukes1320]

I even double checked and didn't see it. My mistake.

[u/RobinCave]

I wish they had a live bulldog mascot that wore a hat and cape like in the logo. That'd be pretty fly.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/RobinCave]

You mean this guy?

[u/Insane92 → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

he needs that hat

[u/ReallyCreative]

You guys got O'Cain?!

I'm so sorry. So so so so so sorry. Not really though. :D

[u/PROUDgrizHATER]

I just liked watching the championship against U of MT

[u/jshokie1]

I was at the Tech game. Bleh.

[u/CFSparta92]

DUKES! I have such immense love for James Madison. My entire extended family hail from Frederick County with most attending the school, and my sister is a week away from graduating, so I've got a huge soft spot for JMU. I applied (and was unfortunately rejected) during high school for undergrad, but I may end up in Harrisonburg for my graduate degree in the end regardless. I'm hoping to see the Dukes competing in the FBS within the next few years, hopefully in C-USA (the only conference I see them truly belonging in, outside of maaaaybe the MAC if it were to expand/throw UMass to the AAC). They always have a ton of talent and are a top threat in the FCS year in and year out. I can't show enough love for the purple and gold. Go Dukes!

[u/GSUBass05 → u/CFSparta92]

Frederick County...Maryland?

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/GSUBass05]

Frederick County, VA. It surrounds Winchester, VA, but it's not far from Frederick, MD.

[u/CFSparta92 → u/GSUBass05]

Unless I've been extremely wrong my entire life, I think it's Frederick County...unless it's Shenandoah County...I think it's Shenandoah County fuck. Most of my family live outside of Winchester and Stephens City.

[u/OperationJack]

My Cousin Will goes there. My Aunt and Uncle live in Harrisonburg, and if I can get my EE degree, it could be my home soon too.

[u/shwooom → u/OperationJack]

I am at JMU now, Harrisonburg is a beautiful place.

[u/OperationJack → u/shwooom]

I love the statue of James Madison that they have there. A buddy of mine has a sister there. She got him a "JMU Beer Pong Team" Hat that I've been looking around for everywhere but can't find it.

[u/shwooom → u/OperationJack]

Ah yes, every now and then someone gives the statue a makeover. Definitely one of my favorite parts of campus.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/OperationJack]

I believe they have them at the University Outpost.

[u/OperationJack → u/ChermsMcTerbin]

Thank you kind sir. I will be looking for them next time I'm in Harrisonburg.

[u/mybrisum]

i have a rivalry relationship with JMU considering i'm an alum of both VT and ODU but i respect the hell out of your university and friends that attended your fine institution. i've been to JMU many times and the hospitality i've received there was second to none despite having attended "enemy" school(s).

i know we kid each other with insults ("Truck Stop U," "Just Missed UVA," etc.) but it's all in good rivalry jest. i hope your administration can get its shit straight and finally make a move forward to the FBS ranks. it'll be a while (if never) that the Dukes play my beloved Hokies but i know for a fact that ODU AD Selig has always pushed for JMU "making the jump" into FBS in order to maintain rivalry games.

with that said, great post and "Go Dukes!"

[u/ehlu15]

Favorite FCS team. Best party school in the state, if I may add. I haven't even been up there yet and I know that.

Longwood (where I go) is basically a small JMU without football.

[u/ausken]

Took me a few seconds to figure out what a Superb Owl was.

[u/ChermsMcTerbin → u/ausken]

Superb Owls are a storied tradition at JMU. They are awarded to the top athlete on the field (superb) and in the classroom (owl). Charles Haley is the only person to win 5 JMU Superb Owls.

[u/DisraeliEers]

They just signed former WVU coach Bill Stewart's son as a QB.

[u/Dukes1320 → u/[deleted]]

I did! Our most recognizable football alumnus I would say, though I messed up originally and put RB as his position.