James Maddison's James Madison Dukes were voted to finish atop the Sun Belt Conference East Division in the SBC's Football Preseason Coaches Poll, with 11 of 14 first-place votes and 94 total votes. This marks the second straight year the Dukes have earned 11 votes preseason.
What happened?
The Sun Belt's head coaches voted on the predicted order of finish for the league, while the head coaches and one media member from each university selected the preseason all-conference team. James Madison will host the Sun Belt poll's West Division favorite, Troy, for a rematch of the 2025 Sun Belt Football Championship in Bridgeforth Stadium on Oct. 29.
Why it matters for James Maddison
The Dukes will return 34 letterwinners and five starters from the 2025 roster, in addition to 61 newcomers — 39 transfers and 22 high school seniors. The total roster has 109 players from 26 states and four other countries, JMU Athletics said.
What comes next?
The Dukes open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 at Bridgeforth Stadium, hosting Liberty for an in-state rivalry with a noon kickoff. The team will take the stage at Sun Belt Football Media Days on Wednesday.
The Dukes' center, Zach Greenberg, and edge rusher, Amar Thomas, were named to the First Team, while running back George Pettaway was named to the Second Team. Greenberg was a Second Team selection in 2025 and started all 14 games for the Dukes last year. Thomas was a 2025 Honorable Mention and also started all 14 games last season. Pettaway earned preseason All-Sun Belt honors for the second season in a row, and he enters his third season with the Dukes after racking up nearly 1,200 rushing yards and five scores across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
The Dukes' head coach, Billy Napier, takes the reins heading into the 2026 season.