While James Madison football might not be bowl eligible because of NCAA rules concerning FCS teams that just recently joined the FBS, there is still a way that the Dukes can play in a postseason game.
If there aren’t enough teams to fill all the FBS bowl spots, James Madison could be able to capitalize on the situation.
Since James Madison is 10-1, it more than meets the requirement for fill-in teams to staff bowl games where there aren’t enough six-win teams in the NCAA to play in them, as USA TODAY Sports noted.
There are 41 bowl games, which calls for 82 teams to play. If there aren’t 82 teams that organically can make a bowl game, James Madison would immediately qualify to fill one of the open spots.
Essentially, if 82 teams hit six wins before the end of the season, James Madison would have to sit out another year before bowl game consideration. If there aren’t 82 teams, James Madison would have a great chance at playing in a bowl game.
It’d be a win-win for James Madison and the NCAA if this were the case.
For the Dukes, it’d be a chance to play in a bowl game and reap the reward of a double digit-win season. For the NCAA, it’d still allow a worthy team to play in a bowl game while adhering to its two-season waiting period in place for FCS teams that transfer into the FBS.
While the latter’s policy will still get scrutiny in the years to come, this would be the best-case scenario for a James Madison team that’s not automatically granted a spot in one of the 82 possible bowl game spots.
