Since making the jump from Division-IAA (FCS) to Division-IA (FBS), the James Madison Dukes immediately found themselves on the map. National recognition for the program went beyond the field – ESPN’s College GameDay visited the campus twice in 2016 and 2021 to feature the school. But before GameDay ever came to Harrisonburg, fans have been frenzied over JMU. This Saturday, Bridgeforth Stadium featured an over-capacity crowd for what would eventually be a blowout home win. Highly touted, a James Madison football game day doesn’t disappoint.
Go Dukes!
Game Day In The Shenandoah Valley!
Looking for convenient, free parking? James Madison University offers one of the best spots I’ve found yet – halfway between Bridgeforth Stadium and downtown (~0.5 mile walk to either). To get to the stadium, your walking route from Main Street, just past Hotel Madison, takes you right through campus. A walk around James Madison’s campus is a must on game day, be it guided or self-taken. The buildings are ornate and the grounds immaculate. JMU ranks up there with some of the best campuses I’ve seen, including Mississippi State and Duke.
When touring buildings, be sure to check behind you: holding doors open isn’t just a courtesy here, not just a tradition, but a requirement. Everyone holds doors open on campus in one of the friendliest campus traditions I’ve seen. No door gets unchecked.
Fans line every available parking lot with tailgate tents. For a stadium that holds roughly 25,000 fans, fans tailgate with the same passion as any neighboring ACC school.
After checking out tailgating and the campus grounds, get to the Plecker Athletic Center on the south side of the stadium for the Dog Walk. I’m pretty up front about team walks–once you’ve seen one you’ve seen most–but James Madison puts on one worth your while. Duke Dog poses for photos with cheerleaders and bandmates. He’s one of college football’s most recognizable mascots, even if he looks more like a koala than bulldog.
Throw Those Streamers!
When James Madison finds the end zone, you’ll find one of the coolest traditions in college football. Planted in seats around the stadium before kickoff, fans collect and launch streamers. Some fans opt to bring their own, donning the stadium in purple, gold, and white. But what happens once you’ve thrown your roll? Fans find thrown ones, roll them back up, and launch them in another direction. Get there early to grab yours!
Take your time getting to your seat, as Bridgeforth Stadium features lots of reading material and history of the venue, team, and campus under the home stands.
The other season to be early–which many fans were not, this is a late-arriving crowd–is to see one of the largest marching bands in the FBS, the Marching Royal Dukes. The enormous band of over 500 members is open to all students on campus, unlike other bands that recruit scholarship members. It’s worth staying in your seat for halftime and the traditional postgame show featuring the MRDs.
Just before the team takes the field, children are invited to run the field in a tradition known as the Puppy Run. Other schools that feature a similar feature include TCU (for all kid fans) and Baylor (for freshmen students).
James Madison 38, Georgia State 7
James Madison expected to beat the tar out of Georgia State and that’s what they did. It took just three quarters for JMU to gain a 38-7 lead that didn’t change in the final quarter. While the Dukes encountered some struggles on the road, JMU is one of the best home teams in the entire country. There’s not much to write home about in terms of game play, JMU dominated from wire to wire.
A few dozen fans uphold a tradition founded decades ago at Bridgeforth Stadium. The group, known as the Hillside Gang, sits on a nearby hill to watch JMU football for free. While a good portion of the field is now blocked from view with the construction of new stands, fans can get most of the game day experience, including sitting next to the celebratory cannon that echoes frequently for JMU scores.
General Admission is a great option for cheaper seats at Bridgeforth Stadium, which is where I chose to sit this game. However, seating is first-come, first-serve, and holding seats you’ve sat in isn’t really a thing. So if you opt for GA, do note you may lose your seat if you get up for concessions or a bathroom break.
On your way out of the stadium, be sure to grab a fresh-baked cookie. I’m not sure if this was a one-off this afternoon, but it seemed like a regular feature at JMU.
James Madison Game Day Grades
Stadium: B-. The home grand stands tower over the field, which is an impressive structure. Bridgeforth Stadium sits on a gorgeous reservoir and right under the foothills of a beautiful campus. A unique touch not found at many other FBS venues – fans can walk alongside the stadium at the field, level on the away stands. Overall a pleasing stadium, if not incredible.
Tradition: B. I love the streamers. But that’s just one part of the game day tradition that rocks at JMU. The Dog Walk is absolutely worth heading to and game day in the Shenandoah Valley is incorporated into a ton of aspects. This is a tradition-rich game day despite being a relatively new football program particularly to the FBS level.
Atmosphere: B-. It may be due to stadium design, but I found the in-game noise to be pretty underwhelming. The crowd got up for big moments, but it never really created issues on the field. I was given pretty lofty expectations and maybe this is my own fault. Solid, but nothing mind-blowing.
Tailgating: A-. These folks know how to tailgate. Widespread, exciting, ornate, JMU has it all.
Fans: B+. Tickets to a JMU game don’t come cheap or easy. That’s due to the widespread passion of this fanbase and alumni group. JMU fans are diehard and, fortunately, the Dukes enjoyed a fruitful transition to the FBS. Despite turning over a wildly successful coach–one that took Indiana to new heights in Year 1–Bridgeforth Stadium was packed. Tailgating lots were packed. The one knock on grade here? Early exit-hitters. The game was out of hand, but a over-capacity crowd turned into one you could sit virtually anywhere by hafltime.
Extracurriculars: B. Harrisonburg is a terrific college town. There’s plenty of great local eats, popular bars, and downtown is walkable to campus and the stadium. The campus sits about 30 minutes away from Shenandoah National Park – an excursion I decided to partake in. If you’re looking for a nearby large city, you won’t find it here. But a self-sustaining college town and beautiful nature around makes this a great part of Virginia.