This spring will mark James Madison’s last in the Colonial Athletic Association, with the school moving most of its sports to the Sun Belt Conference. The Dukes, who have made six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and won the national championship in 2018, are ineligible for the CAA championship and will try to make its seventh straight postseason appearance as an at-large contender. They are ranked 12th in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason Top 20.
“We believe JMU lacrosse strengthens the American with our program’s storied tradition and a great presence within the footprint of the lacrosse community,” athletic director Jeff Bourne said. “We have been a consistent factor in the postseason.”
“JMU is firmly established as one of the nation’s top programs, with sustained success that aligns with our conference’s objective of competing for championships at the highest level,” commissioner Mike Aresco said.
Three AAC teams — Florida, Temple and Vanderbilt — qualified for the NCAA tournament last year. Cincinnati could be the next team in limbo, however, with the university leaving the conference for the Big 12 and no guarantee that the AAC will retain the Bearcats as an affiliate in women’s lacrosse.
This is the latest in a series of moves related to conference realignment over the last six months. USA Lacrosse Magazine contributor Jeremy Fallis examined the effects on the college lacrosse landscape in an article published earlier this week.