North Dakota State once saw the James Madison Dukes get ahead of the Herd for FCS supremacy a decade ago before the Bison returned the favor twice in national championship games.
Now, the Bison are back to catching JMU, which transitioned to the FBS in 2022. JMU making the College Football Playoff last season may not be the only benchmark the Bison will look to match or beat the Dukes at.
This summer, the Daily New Record reported that, “JMU’s president Jim Schmidt acknowledged that he does not view the Sun Belt as a permanent destination and that the university continues to hold power-conference aspirations.” If JMU does leave the Sun Belt one day for a Power Four conference such as the ACC, the Dukes can start keeping head coaching talent such as former head coaches Bob Chesney and Curt Cignetti instead of losing them.
Chesney became the latest this year, as he joined UCLA in the Big Ten, which Cignetti did years earlier with Indiana and won a national championship in 2025. That Hoosiers team notably had numerous JMU transfers.
It’s a warning for the Bison that the Mountain West Conference may not work as a permanent or long-term home either. Coaches can move up to the Power Four, and talented players likewise can follow suit.
NDSU Dynasty Intertwined With JMU From Day One
JMU came to the Fargodome in December 2011 during the second round of the FCS playoffs when the Bison had a high speed at No. 2 for the first time.
NDSU beat the Dukes 26-14 in that game, the playoff game in Fargodome history, and the Bison marched on to the first of 10 FCS championships. JMU hung around the whole time in that game, and it took former Bison running back D.J. McNorton’s 60-yard touchdown run with 7:13 left in the fourth quarter to put the game away.
The Bison won 22 consecutive playoff games from that JMU game to the next time the two played in the dome during the 2016 season. JMU snapped that winning streak and handed the Bison a first-ever playoff loss in the dome, 27-17, and the Dukes went on to win the national championship.
With NDSU’s streak of five national titles over, the Bison bounced back in 2017 and beat the Dukes 17-13 in the national title game, led by former Bison quarterback Easton Stick. NDSU did it again in the 2019 season, when former Bison quarterback Trey Lance led the Herd to a 28-20 victory over the Dukes in the title game.
The Bison and Dukes met one last time in Fargo for the 2021 season when NDSU won in the FCS semifinals, 20-14. Former Bison cornerback Destin Talbert made a one-handed interception to keep the Dukes off the board late.
Why JMU Really Gives NDSU Hope For CFP Run
With playoff eligibility in hand, the Bison seek a run to the CFP in the first year of FBS play, and based on JMU’s run last year provides hope in that area.
JMU made the CFP without a Power Four conference win. The Dukes lost to Louisville in the lone Power Four game, as JMU’s win over Washington State was against a team that was part of a two-team Pac-12 in 2025.
JMU needed help to grab that second Group of Six bid since Duke upset Virginia in the ACC title game. It’s unlikely a second G6 team makes the field again, but JMU shows it is possible for a G6 team to make it without a true Power Four win. NDSU doesn’t have a Power Four game this year, so the Bison will need an unbeaten season and convincing wins to have any shot at a CFP birth.
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