James Madison Dukes
Sun Belt program. Took the fallen-SEC-coach play in hiring Billy Napier — a departure from the prior pattern of hiring up-and-coming FCS coaches like Cignetti and Chesney. Bill Connelly's read: Napier built a Louisiana team that was way more talented and bigger in the trenches than the Sun Belt — if he can do that here, James Madison is positioned for sustained playoff-bid runs.
Current Show Posture
As of 2026-07-09:
The 2026 G6 Preview Part 1 read: James Madison and Old Dominion are the Sun Belt East teams the show most wants to solve, with JMU still carrying the clearest contender gravity. This is the front-door summary for the team-specific preview coverage; the running takes below remain the source links for the underlying arguments.
2026 Preview Snapshot
- 2026 G6 Preview Part 1: James Madison and Old Dominion are the Sun Belt East teams the show most wants to solve, with JMU still carrying the clearest contender gravity. 2026-07-09 Sun Belt East Runs Through JMU And ODU
Episode Appearances
- 2026-04-30 Bill Connelly Post-Spring Conference Walk
- 2026-07-09 G6 Previews Part 1 - The American, Sun Belt and MAC Conference Previews - preview, schedule, roster, or conference-context discussion.
Running Takes
- 2026-07-09: 2026-07-09 Sun Belt East Runs Through JMU And ODU - James Madison and Old Dominion are the Sun Belt East teams the show most wants to solve, with JMU still carrying the clearest contender gravity.