JMU To Play WVU at FedEx Field in 2012!

[jmufan]

http://www.dailymail.com/Sports/201106260119" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Multiple sources familiar with the arrangement say WVU is close to finalizing an agreement to play James Madison in 2012 at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. The game would be Sept. 15, the third game of the regular season, in Landover, Md.

The contract makes it a home game for the Mountaineers, but the Dukes expect to have a strong showing in the stands. JMU, a Football Championship Subdivision school in Harrisonburg, Va., is guaranteed $350,000 for the game, but can make an additional $150,000 in an attendance incentive.

Awesome!

[93henfan]

Sweet. I might go to pull for WVU.

[EWURanger]

Very sweet deal for JMU. Everything seems to be going for that program right now.

[∞∞∞]

Awesome. Might definitely go to this one and cheer on the Dukes.

[ASUG8]

I'm not really sure what the benefit is for WVU to agree to this. The schools are only 3+ hrs apart. I really don't believe that they'll be able to fill up 90K seats vs. a 60K home game in Morgantown.

[GannonFan]

Very sweet deal for JMU. Everything seems to be going for that program right now.

Well, except for the missing the playoffs for a few years now and the off-season arrests. It's all roses.

[Dukie95]

I'm not really sure what the benefit is for WVU to agree to this. The schools are only 3+ hrs apart. I really don't believe that they'll be able to fill up 90K seats vs. a 60K home game in Morgantown.

Yeah, I don't get what WVU gets out of this either..but I'll take it! Maybe the guarantee $ is higher than what they would have gotten by having the game at home? No idea.

[ASUG8]

I'm not really sure what the benefit is for WVU to agree to this. The schools are only 3+ hrs apart. I really don't believe that they'll be able to fill up 90K seats vs. a 60K home game in Morgantown.

Yeah, I don't get what WVU gets out of this either..but I'll take it! Maybe the guarantee $ is higher than what they would have gotten by having the game at home? No idea.

It says they'll gross just over $2M, about what they'd get at a home game. It's a much better deal for the Dukes IMO.

I guess the real upside is that DC area folks might actually get to see some decent football for once.

[∞∞∞]

...I really don't believe that they'll be able to fill up 90K seats vs. a 60K home game in Morgantown.

A LOT of JMU alums in the DC area, as well as WVU. I wouldn't be surprised if it was filled up with 50000 WVU fans, 30000 JMU fans, and then 10000 random people that show up because there's a college football game in town.

[ASUG8]

...I really don't believe that they'll be able to fill up 90K seats vs. a 60K home game in Morgantown.

A LOT of JMU alums in the DC area, as well as WVU. I wouldn't be surprised if it was filled up with 50000 WVU fans, 30000 JMU fans, and then 10000 random people that show up because there's a college football game in town.

I hope you're right - I just remember playing at UF last year and the crowd was maybe 2/3 full, especially after we started getting blown out. Of course, UF was pretty much done for the season and it wasn't an opening weekend game. I'll pull for the Dukes anyway.

[Dukie95]

Yeah, I don't get what WVU gets out of this either..but I'll take it! Maybe the guarantee $ is higher than what they would have gotten by having the game at home? No idea.

It says they'll gross just over $2M, about what they'd get at a home game. It's a much better deal for the Dukes IMO.

I guess the real upside is that DC area folks might actually get to see some decent football for once.

Maybe that's what they get from a FBS home game, when they don't have to turn around and cut a $350,000 check to the FCS team. Perhaps this was a way for them to have their FCS cupcake and eat it, too.

[T-Dog]

Awesome. I know ASU and ECU have been in talks about a game at BoA in Charlotte (which would sellout) so I hope this gives the talks more of a chance of happening.

[jmufan]

I would love to see a close game, but you know, this is an once in a lifetime opportunity that possibly will never come again as long as we are FCS, so, if we get blown out, I don't think you will see a mass exodus from JMU fans if that were to happen.

Secondly, this is actually a huge win for JMU, WVU fans are not so happy if you look at their message boards.

[bandl]

Snyder promised WVU that he'd draft a few of their players next season if they play there.

[EWURanger]

Very sweet deal for JMU. Everything seems to be going for that program right now.

Well, except for the missing the playoffs for a few years now and the off-season arrests. It's all roses.

Well, yeah, there's that. But lots of reasons for JMU fans to be excited - beat Va Tech last year which was a huge win for their program.....awesome stadium expansion, etc.

FWIW JMU and W & M are my top two to win the CAA this season. At the very least, we should see JMU back in the playoffs this year.

[jmufan]

Just so everyone knows, the date for this game is set for September 15, 2012. Not sure about the time slot though.

A News article about why Luck decided to play JMU at FedEx.

http://www.smokingmusket.com/2011/6/27/ ... -field-jmu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JMU DJ]

I guess the real upside is that DC area folks might actually get to see some decent football for once.

[GannonFan]

Well, except for the missing the playoffs for a few years now and the off-season arrests. It's all roses.

Well, yeah, there's that. But lots of reasons for JMU fans to be excited - beat Va Tech last year which was a huge win for their program.....awesome stadium expansion, etc.

FWIW JMU and W & M are my top two to win the CAA this season. At the very least, we should see JMU back in the playoffs this year.

Eh, we'll see. Nothing guaranteed about JMU this year. Good defense, but the offense still has a lot of questions. OL was bad last year and not a lot of reasons to think it will be significantly improved this year. QB is still a big question mark, as well as RB. W&M, UD, Richmond, UNH, and maybe even URI will likely be ahead of JMU in the preseason poll for the conference. Preseason polls aren't the end all be all, but JMU will certainly surprise a lot of people (not you though) if they win the CAA this year.

[JmuSkinsfan]

Gannon, no one should be surprised if JMU wins the conference. It's the CAA ... anyone can win. Rhode Island winning the CAA would be a surprise ... even though they're expected to do well. Outside of Towson, ODU and Rhode Island ... there really shouldn't be any "surprises"

[GannonFan]

Gannon, no one should be surprised if JMU wins the conference. It's the CAA ... anyone can win. Rhode Island winning the CAA would be a surprise ... even though they're expected to do well. Outside of Towson, ODU and Rhode Island ... there really shouldn't be any "surprises"

Sure, anything can happen, it's just the odds of it happening tend to be tougher. JMU will be 5th or 6th in the pre season voting. How many times has a team that low gone on to win the CAA. Sure it could and certainly has happened. Probably a bit less than a team picked higher winning it, though.

[JmuSkinsfan]

Gannon, no one should be surprised if JMU wins the conference. It's the CAA ... anyone can win. Rhode Island winning the CAA would be a surprise ... even though they're expected to do well. Outside of Towson, ODU and Rhode Island ... there really shouldn't be any "surprises"

Sure, anything can happen, it's just the odds of it happening tend to be tougher. JMU will be 5th or 6th in the pre season voting. How many times has a team that low gone on to win the CAA. Sure it could and certainly has happened. Probably a bit less than a team picked higher winning it, though.

William and Mary 2009 rings a bell. I don't think they won but they were picked to finish 2nd to last and finished 2nd I believe. Also, wasn't JMU picked to finish pretty far back in 2004 and they went on to win the national champ? Granted they didn't win the A-10 that year but they made the playoffs.

I'm not saying JMU should be the favorite to win the CAA ... they aren't ... but an 8-3 record and a 2/3 finish should not be a surprise at all. This JMU team is loaded with talent ... fix some holes on the OL and QB and they're right back at the top. Keep in mind, with the worst offense in the history of offenses last year, JMU was a 3 pt. OT loss to Richmond and a last second 3 pt. loss to national runner up Delaware from being 8-3 .... just sayin

[89Hen]

...I really don't believe that they'll be able to fill up 90K seats vs. a 60K home game in Morgantown.

A LOT of JMU alums in the DC area, as well as WVU. I wouldn't be surprised if it was filled up with 50000 WVU fans, 30000 JMU fans, and then 10000 random people that show up because there's a college football game in town.

First off, this is great for JMU. However, I would be surprised. WVU fans are known for travelling very well, but this is a stretch. They might bring 40-50k for a bowl game, but I'd be shocked if they can muster more than 40k for this one. JMU will be hard pressed to bring 20k.

FWIW, VT vs Boise didn't sell out FedEx last year and that game had a LOT of hype surrounding it and I'd have to guess there are more VT alums in the DC area than JMU or WVU.

BTW, WVU is already scheduled to play another game at FedEx in 2016 against BYU. I'm sure they view these games as an opportunity to expose themselves to the DC area, and get their fans another opportunity to travel to a close game. They have a fleet of RV's that need some road time.

[jmufan]

You may be right or wrong, but what the DC area has going for it is that there are a ton of WVU and JMU alumni in the DC area. It sounds like there will be an allotted amount of 57,500 seats, or at least that is what is sounds like from this

According to the report, JMU would make $10 for every ticket sold beyond 42,500 up to an allotted 57,500.

http://www.wvillustrated.com/wvufootball/story/id/1146" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; not sure what that all means of course given that there is a stadium capacity of over 90,000.

Would be awesome to see 30,000 JMU fans at this game.

[PenthouseClosedEnd]

A LOT of JMU alums in the DC area, as well as WVU. I wouldn't be surprised if it was filled up with 50000 WVU fans, 30000 JMU fans, and then 10000 random people that show up because there's a college football game in town.

First off, this is great for JMU. However, I would be surprised. WVU fans are known for travelling very well, but this is a stretch. They might bring 40-50k for a bowl game, but I'd be shocked if they can muster more than 40k for this one. JMU will be hard pressed to bring 20k.

FWIW, VT vs Boise didn't sell out FedEx last year and that game had a LOT of hype surrounding it and I'd have to guess there are more VT alums in the DC area than JMU or WVU.

BTW, WVU is already scheduled to play another game at FedEx in 2016 against BYU. I'm sure they view these games as an opportunity to expose themselves to the DC area, and get their fans another opportunity to travel to a close game. They have a fleet of RV's that need some road time.

I agree with all of this.

Great job by JMU to get this game!

[T-Dog]

Awesome. I know ASU and ECU have been in talks about a game at BoA in Charlotte (which would sellout) so I hope this gives the talks more of a chance of happening.

Well, babysteps. A basketball game in Charlotte.


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