James Madison Dukes

The James Madison Dukes bring high-major swagger to the Sun Belt, playing at the modern Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg. Long a CAA power before the school's 2022 conference jump, JMU has kept winning at a new address, punctuated by a stunning 2024 NCAA Tournament upset. The Dukes' identity is built on toughness, depth, and March moments that punch above their conference's weight class.

James Madison basketball became a varsity program in 1969-70 and spent decades as a CAA fixture after that league's 1979 founding, winning nine regular-season and four tournament titles there. After moving to the Sun Belt in 2022, JMU won its first Sun Belt tournament title in 2024, upsetting 5-seed Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament's first round — the program's deepest run since 1993-94.