Football season ends, but Dukes fans have much to celebrate

As the clock wound down on a historic 2025 football season Saturday at the University of Oregon, James Madison University President Jim Schmidt couldn’t help but reflect with pride on the team’s accomplishments and the program’s trajectory. 

“This was a bit of a fairytale story,” Schmidt said from Autzen Stadium, where more than 55,000 Ducks fans lived up to their reputation for creating one of the nation’s best home‑field advantages with their sustained roar. “Here we are, a team that’s only been in the FBS for four years. No one gave us a chance of getting here, and here we are. I’ve never been prouder of these Dukes, and I’m even more bullish on the future.” 

Schmidt spoke hours earlier to nearly 1,000 JMU supporters at a pregame tailgate across the street from the stadium, where excitement was already surging. 

“Everybody’s talking about JMU,” he told the crowd, drawing boisterous cheers. “They’re not talking about any of the higher‑ranked teams. They’re talking about this team. And I love it that we get underestimated.” 

While national pundits gave JMU little chance of upsetting Oregon, the nation’s No. 5 team, Dukes fans, including more than 200 members of the Marching Royal Dukes, traveled to Portland and Eugene by the thousands to show their support. 

Fan events began Thursday night. Speaking Friday to a crowd of more than 300 at Besaws restaurant in Portland, 110 miles north of Eugene, Schmidt expressed his excitement about the JMU milestone. “Purple and gold has a winning team in Virginia,” he said, “and now we’re headed to the national playoffs.” 

He also emphasized that this year’s success is just one step in the program’s broader ascent. 

“Reaching the playoffs is not the pinnacle of JMU football,” he said. “It’s another rung on our climb to national prominence. Fasten your seatbelts. We have some big plans, some bold ideas, for the future of JMU football and for JMU Nation.” 

Athletics Director Matt Roan echoed that sentiment, telling fans that JMU is uniquely positioned to thrive. 

“We have something that not a lot of places have,” Roan said. “They can put labels on us all they want. There’s nothing mid‑major here. This is a power program.” 

Among supporters in attendance was Neal Wilkinson, a former football Duke who played from 1984 to 1988. Wilkinson said he never could have imagined the program growing to its current stature while he was a player. “You look at the stadium, the facilities, everything back then. It’s impossible to look forward and forecast that we would ever be here,” he said. 

However, the program’s rise doesn’t surprise him. 

“After following JMU all these years, it’s the culture,” Wilkinson said. “The term ‘JMU Nation’ says it all. It’s a special place. It’s just different, and not just football. All the sports, all the academics, everything about it.” 

As for traveling cross‑country to support the Dukes? 

“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “I’m tried and true. I bleed purple.” 

As Dukes fans filed out of Autzen Stadium, they could take solace in the football team’s resilience. The final score, a 51-34 Oregon win, didn’t tell the whole story. The team gained 509 yards, more than any other Oregon opponent; 23 first downs; 0 turnovers and 34 points. 

“They didn’t get the outcome they wanted but they fought hard and represented their school well. Awesome season,” one fan noted in an Instagram post that reflected a sentiment shared by many. 

Photos courtesy of Rachel Holderman and JMU Athletics