James Madison Dukes | |
---|---|
University | James Madison University |
Conference | Colonial Athletic Association |
NCAA | Division I |
Athletic director | Jeff Bourne |
Location | Harrisonburg, Virginia |
Varsity teams | 18 |
Football stadium | Bridgeforth Stadium |
Basketball arena | JMU Convocation Center |
Baseball stadium | Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park |
Mascot | Duke Dog |
Nickname | Dukes |
Fight song | JMU Fight Song |
Colors | Purple and Gold |
Website | jmusports |
The James Madison University Dukes (JMU) is the name given to the athletics teams of James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. JMU is a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level. In football, JMU participates in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) of Division I, formerly known as Division I-AA. The university mascot, Duke Dog, is frequently seen at all sporting events, and the school colors are royal purple and gold. JMU has won two NCAA national championships, tied for third-most among Virginia colleges and universities.
JMU's women's athletics tradition is among the oldest in the nation, dating nearly back to the institution's founding in 1908. Strong intercollegiate programs for women have been in place at the university since the early 1920s, and JMU was among the first of the nation's institutions to provide well-rounded overall intercollegiate offerings for females. Men's athletics began at JMU during the late 1940s, and a comprehensive program for men began evolving in the late 1960s when the university became fully coeducational.
Men's sports
Women's sports
The JMU baseball team's head coach is Marlin Ikenberry. Founded in 1970, the JMU baseball team played at Long Field at Mauck Stadium through the end of the 2009 season. In 2010 they opened play at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park, the school's new baseball and softball complex. The "Diamond Dukes," as the team is known, have compiled a 1092-670-8 all-time record and have made the NCAA Tournament nine times, most recently in 2011. Billy Sample is JMU's most famous baseball alumnus, who played in 862 career major league games with the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves. In the 2006 season, JMU had the top-two home run hitters in Division I. One of them, Kellen Kulbacki, placed in the top five in all three of the triple crown categories. Kulbacki received the 2006 National Player of the Year award as a sophomore. In 2008, the Dukes won their first CAA Championship defeating Towson University qualifying the team for the 2008 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament hosted by North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. The Dukes also won the CAA Championship in 2011 defeating Old Dominion University qualifying the team for the 2011 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.