INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (JMUSports.com) – James Madison has earned the No. 3 overall seed for the 2020-21 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, as the selection committee unveiled the 16-team field Sunday during the live selection show on ESPNU.
JMU (5-0) will host Southern Conference champion VMI (6-1) in the first round on Saturday, April 24 at 2 p.m. at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field. The game will be streamed on ESPN3.
The winner of JMU-VMI will face the North Dakota-Missouri State winner in the FCS quarterfinals on either May 1 or 2.
It will be the 14th meeting all-time between the Dukes and Keydets but the first since 2009. JMU is also 7-0 at home vs. VMI.
The Dukes just wrapped up a perfect spring regular season, going 5-0 and winning all three Colonial Athletic Association games. JMU averaged 33.8 points per game, which ranks 13th nationally while also conceding just 9.8 points per game, good for second in the FCS.
JMU also leads the country in total defense (175.6), third in rushing defense (45.4), fifth in rushing offense (236.0), sixth in passing defense (130.2), seventh in tackles for loss (8.4) and ninth on third-down conversions (.514).
The Dukes are making their program-record seventh straight playoff appearance and the 17th in school history. It's the fifth time in five seasons JMU has been a national seed.
JMU was one of two CAA schools to make the field of 16, as it was joined by Delaware (5-0).
The top-four seeds are No. 1 South Dakota State (5-1), Sam Houston State (6-0), No. 3 JMU and No. 4 Jacksonville State (9-2). Click here for the full 16-team bracket.
