The Sun Belt East has a legitimate claim to the title of “best G5 division,” and Power 5 teams won’t shy away from adding the Dukes to the schedule. Moving to the Sun Belt means JMU takes a step forward in national athletic relevance, especially in football. Teams ranging from men’s and women’s soccer to softball to baseball all stand better chances of making NCAA fields with respectable seeding and making deep and successful tournament runs. That boosts the potential national profile of JMU’s athletic programs, giving the Dukes more chances at regular NCAA Tournament appearances and the occasional national championship. In just about every sport, the competition in the Sun Belt increases when compared to the CAA. Other programs are immediately eligible for conference titles. Every other program will join the Sun Belt for the 2022 season, although football isn’t eligible to play in the SBC Championship or a bowl game this year.
Field hockey and swim and dive will likely have to wait a year or so before the Sun Belt officially sponsors those sports. While women’s lacrosse is moving to the American Athletic Conference - the SBC doesn’t sponsor lacrosse - it’s expected that every other JMU program will eventually compete in the Sun Belt. The move to the SBC means JMU is well positioned to become a nationally relevant “Group of 5” athletic program. An exciting era of JMU sports lies ahead, and it’ll begin this fall when JMU programs make the leap to an improved sports league. Absolutely beautiful camera work from the folks at Drexel for a bargain of a price! /qilCjypS4a- JMU Sports News April 24, 2022Īs of Friday, JMU is officially a Sun Belt Conference member.
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