The NCAA won't let James Madison be eligible for a bowl game or the Sun Belt Championship Game. But the one thing they are eligible for is ESPN's College GameDay.
The college football road show is heading to Harrisonburg for Week 11 as the Dukes take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
This is the third time JMU will host GameDay and the first time since 2017.
JMU got the nod over other intriguing matchups in Week 12 including undefeated Washington's trip to Corvallis to face a dangerous Oregon State squad or an upset-hungry Maryland facing a potentially Jim Harbaugh-less Michigan.
Where is College GameDay, Week 12?: Location, TV info, guest picker
Why JMU? Well, the Dukes are one of the hottest teams in college football. At 10-0, they're just two wins away from an undefeated campaign.
Unfortunately, that won't mean competing for the Sun Belt title or more. That's because JMU is in its second season of transition to the FBS level. It is not eligible for postseason play during that transition.
The Dukes have tried to apply for a waiver but the NCAA has denied their request for eligibility. So the game against App State is their chance to bask in the college football spotlight.
Their will be star power present for this one too with a special performance by the Jonas Brothers. However, it's not clear if they will serve as guest pickers. The annoucement on that front will have to wait until closer to Saturday.
GameDay airs on ESPN from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET with Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee entertaining a crowd full of fans and sign-holders.
