Warner Sep 30, 2017; Madison, WI, USA; Footballs with the college football playoff logo sit on the field during warmups prior to the game between the Northwestern Wildcats and Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
ArticlesCollege FootballBy Chris Novak on

The James Madison Dukes have made their own history. The undefeated Dukes are in the Associated Press Top 25 for Week 9 of the 2023 college football season, ranked at 25. Additionally, James Madison made their presence felt finally inside the Coaches Poll too at No. 25.

So for the first time in JMU Football history, the Dukes are in both of major FBS polls!

“JMU is ranked in both major FBS polls for the first time in program history, coming in at #25 in both the AP Top 25 and US LBM Coaches Poll,” JMU Football posted with glee on Sunday morning.

The new AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll for Week 9 finally featured the undefeated Dukes. While there are teams even with two losses inside the poll, JMU didn’t command that kind of respect right away. But they have apparently followed the “Be so good, they can’t ignore you” mantra as they’ve finally slid in.

It’s not too often that schools like JMU get national attention, so this is, if nothing else, a measure of respect. Poll rankings before November aren’t always the most important things in the world. But when programs achieve feats like this, they’re absolutely worth celebrating. So for this week, the Top 25 means a whole lot to somebody.

Celebrate many did after JMU’s Top 25 ranking was announced. Plenty flocked to give the Dukes their due on Sunday afternoon, a nice trend from the usual.

[JMU Football]

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022

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