James Madison and Jacksonville State are bound for bowl games, despite being deemed ineligible for postseason play.
Due to a shortage of six-win teams, the transitioning FBS programs will be filling some of the available bowl spots. With 82 bowl spots available, there are only 79 bowl-eligible teams with six victories or more.
As NCAA regulations prevent teams in their first two seasons at the top level of college football from participating in postseason games, both James Madison (11-1) and Jacksonville State (8-4) sought waivers but were denied. The denial ultimately cost the Dukes a place in the Sun Belt title game, as they finished atop the East Division. Consequently, Appalachian State will compete against Troy in the championship game, in lieu of JMU.
In its second season at the FBS level, James Madison’s postseason aspirations were hindered, while Jacksonville State, having moved up before the 2023 season, also faced similar challenges. Interestingly, Virginia’s attorney general and JMU graduate even threatened legal action against the NCAA after the denial of his alma mater’s postseason participation earlier in the fall.
Subsequently, James Madison and Jacksonville State earned their spots in the postseason, benefitting from the missed opportunities of other teams like Nebraska, Minnesota, and Colorado State to secure a sixth win.
With the shortage of six-win teams, JMU and Jacksonville State were the first teams in line to fill the bowl spots before any five-win teams. As a result, the total of bowl-eligible teams now stands at 81, leaving a single spot for a 5-7 team.
Five-win teams are selected based on their Academic Progress Rate from the previous year, putting Minnesota in line for a potential bowl game due to its superior APR among 5-7 teams.
Navy, currently at 5-6, stands the chance to attain a sixth win if it emerges victorious against Army on Dec. 9. However, bowl regulations stipulate that both Navy and Army must have six wins by the time the bowl field is unveiled on Dec. 3 to be considered for postseason play.
