College Football Realignment Shakeup as Program Applies for American Conference

This program's Board of Visitors vote follows the American’s public stance against expansion and could trigger a Sun Belt exit fee as high as $10 million.

The American Conference logo at Yulman Stadium before the game between the Tulane Green Wave and the Connecticut Huskies. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

James Madison is pushing to leave the Sun Belt Conference 10 months after becoming the league’s first College Football Playoff team, a decision that could reshape the Group of Six pecking order and test the American Conference’s stance on expansion.

JMU’s Board of Visitors voted Monday to terminate the school’s Sun Belt membership and apply for admission into the American, and the Dukes are expected to land in the league, according to a report.

Why is JMU leaving now?

The James Madison Dukes' Duke Dog mascot performs during the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dukes have outgrown the Sun Belt’s revenue model by the league’s own figures. A Sun Belt presentation to JMU’s board valued the Dukes’ 2023 football media worth at a league-high $112 million of the conference’s $892 million total, and no other member topped $72.8 million.

Administrators at JMU and Appalachian State have also privately told boosters the league is undercompensated under its current TV agreement.

President Jim Schmidt framed the stakes this summer as Congress weighed the Protect College Sports Act. “You’re either moving forward or you’re moving backwards,” Schmidt said.

The Harrisonburg, Virginia, program brings on-field leverage, too. JMU went 12-2 in 2025, won the Sun Belt title and reached the Playoff. First-year coach Billy Napier, who replaced UCLA-bound Bob Chesney, won his first five games, including a 45-17 rout of Marshall on Oct. 3.

American Conference expansion stance

Monday’s vote comes 17 days after reports surfaced that JMU, Miami (Ohio) and UConn had contacted the American. Miami reportedly offered $30 million to $40 million to join, while UConn sought a football-only home that would keep its other sports in the Big East.

The American downplayed the interest in a Sept. 25 statement. “The American is not proactively seeking additional members,” the conference said. “We will continue to evaluate the changing landscape and opportunities that strengthen the conference and support our collective mission.”

JMU already competes in the American in women’s lacrosse and swimming and diving because the Sun Belt doesn’t sponsor either sport. The American’s TV deal reportedly pays about $7 million per member, and the league produced last season’s other Group of Six Playoff team in Tulane.

What happens next for JMU?

Leaving won’t come cheap. As of June, the Sun Belt’s exit fee stood at $5 million with at least 12 months’ notice and $10 million with less than a year’s notice, and commissioner Keith Gill had reportedly advocated raising it as high as $25 million.

JMU’s application still needs acceptance from the American. The pending House vote on the Protect College Sports Act adds another variable, since lawmakers are debating penalties and restrictions on schools that switch conferences.

Athletic director Matt Roan acknowledged that uncertainty this summer. “There is a certain amount of lack of control,” Roan said. “That’s where the wait and see comes in.”

The Dukes’ regular-season schedule includes a Nov. 14 trip to UConn, another program that pursued American membership in September.