What Could Have Been
USA Today, November 15, 2020
James Madison Shocks Football Landscape, Bowl Invitations Coming
In a football season that so few FCS teams chose to participate, JMU saw opportunity, and the decision is paying big dividends. It wasn’t the easy way out; scheduling involved relentless negotiations as teams pushed forward to play a season. “We had to make decisions on the fly, it’s not like we could plan ahead like a bunch of accountants preparing for the annual audit,” said Jeff Bourne, the smiling Athletic Director at James Madison.
Bourne shares the credit with President Jon Alger; President Alger kicked off an athletic department planning meeting in early August; “let’s find a way to make this happen, the players deserve that, so long as it can be done safely.” From that point on, it was a success mindset; Coach Cignetti called in some favors with scheduling, the players cheered and hugged when told they were playing; some had contemplated transferring to FBS schools , like Virginia and VA Tech; “I wasn’t going to let that happen” said a proud Jeff Bourne.
As the National Bowls consider teams to fill the prime time spots, James Madison is quickly emerging as a prized candidate. “As we began to look at what they offer; in addition to a winning football record, there is a rabid fan base that is hungry for a bowl experience, It is a win-win situation,” said an anonymous bowl director.
Bourn was quick to point out that success off the field is equally important. “fundraising is going through the roof, enrollment applications are skyrocketing, especially with the male gender; and recruiting has gone gangbusters; people want to go where there is a can do attitude; not where everyone acts like they are victims of circumstance. Sometime you just can’t wait for your ship to come in, you need to swim after it and get on board.”
While most FBS teams will play one game a season against FCS competition, James Madison schedule only Campbell and Western Carolina from the FCS ranks, instead, negotiating to play games against Liberty, Army, Marshall, Appalachain State, Wake Forest, Navy, Charlotte, and North Carolina, soundly defeating all of them, President Alger commented; “we aspire to play at the highest level every year, our athletic budget exceeds every team in the MAC, CUSA, and the Sun Belt, we have over 22,000 students now; we can no longer satisfy our fan base with lopsided sleeper games against William and Mary and Elon and Merimack”.
President Alger’s wish is coming true, as multi-year contracts were negotiated that bring numerous FBS teams to JMU in future years, “It was a perfect scenario” Alger reflected.
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