Division I · Sun Belt Conference
James Madison University Football
Harrisonburg, VA · the Dukes · James Madison University overview
121
Roster
16 over the D-I cap of 105
$17M
Team budget
66th percentile in Division I
$139,371
Per roster spot
median $79,762
11
Coaches
1 head · 10 assistant
952
APR
95% of players retained
76%
Admitted
upper half for selectivity
James Madison University fields a football team in the Sun Belt Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 121 players, about the median of 119, with 1 head coach and 10 assistants. Team expenses were $16,863,958, well above the median of $9.1M — $139,371 per roster spot, upper half of Division I football programs. Under the Division I roster cap of 105 in force from 2025-26, that is 16 over — cuts or attrition are likely, though players already on the roster may stay (230 of 261 Division I programs carried more than the cap). The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 952, about the median of 964, with 95% of players retained year to year. The school gave $5,774,888 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $25,440 per roster spot.
Among Division I football programs
Where this program sits against its 261 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#89Team budgetof 261 · Division I#87Spend per playerof 261 · Division I#108Roster sizeof 261 · Division I#185APRof 261 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I football program
Roster sizes (cap 105)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster121 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap105 16 over last season
- Coaching staff1 head, 10 assistant
- Team expenses$16,863,958 for the year
- Operating expenses$2,658,810 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$139,371 division median $79,762
- Academic Progress Rate952 multi-year; 919 latest
- Players retained95% year to year
- Eligible95% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$5,774,888 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$25,440 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$664,261 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Napier head coach | Head Coach | not on file |
| Dave Plungas | Assistant Head Coach / Outside Linebackers | not on file |
| Mason Collins | Special Assistant to the Head Coach / Director of Quality Control | not on file |
| Kaden Semon | Director of Player Personnel | not on file |
| Dallas Jackson | Director of Player Development | On file · sign in |
| Sarah Wimer | Associate Director of Business Operations <br><span style="font-size:0.85em;"><strong>ASSIGNED SPORTS< / strong> – Football, Field Hockey, Track & Field, Cross Country< / span> | On file · sign in |
Put James Madison University on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youSeptember 1 of junior year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school football players1,029,588 2024-25
- Division I roster spots31,184 261 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 33 3.0% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the football recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →21,006undergraduates · 22,758 students in all
Women 58% Men 42%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Public · Research university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →76%admitted · of 35,750 applicants
SAT middle 50%1170 – 1320
ACT middle 50%25 – 29
- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 81%
Football
Full picture →121on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 105121
16 over — players already on the roster may stay
Academic Progress Rate952
95% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $16,863,958 $139,372 per roster spot · upper half of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 10 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $5,774,888
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $664,261
Cost
Full picture →$26,317net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $13,576 in-state · $30,790 out
Campus safety
Full picture →0.34violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 2 burglaries · 19 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 4 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →18%of bachelor's degrees in health professions & nursing · 22 fields · Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research James Madison University
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Football program121 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions76% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$26,317 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsHealth professions & nursing · 18%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 21,006Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety0.34 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Football programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater College (Virginia) Division III · Old Dominion Athletic Conf. | 7 | 134 | $620k | — | 91% | |
| University of Virginia Division I · Atlantic Coast Conference | 34 | 127 | $34M | 972 | 17% | |
| Virginia Military Institute Division I · Southern Conference | 54 | 105 | $5.4M | 962 | 82% | |
| Washington and Lee University Division III · Old Dominion Athletic Conf. | 54 | 85 | $654k | — | 17% | |
| Southern Virginia University Division III · USA South Athletic Conference | 55 | 115 | $782k | — | 100% | |
| Shenandoah University Division III · Old Dominion Athletic Conf. | 63 | 141 | $556k | — | 78% | |
| Liberty University Division I · Conference USA | 77 | 117 | $23M | 957 | 99% | |
| West Virginia Wesleyan College Division II · Mountain East Conference | 82 | 127 | $1.1M | — | 95% | |
| Frostburg State University Division II · Mountain East Conference | 84 | 145 | $1.2M | — | 89% | |
| Hampden-Sydney College Division III · Old Dominion Athletic Conf. | 86 | — | — | — | 50% | |
| Randolph-Macon College Division III · Old Dominion Athletic Conf. | 89 | 142 | $814k | — | 83% | |
| Shepherd University Division II · Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | 90 | 113 | $1.6M | — | 96% |
Other football programs in the Sun Belt Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Carolina University 18 over cap | 123 | $17M | $138,638 | 956 | vs | |
| James Madison University 16 over cap | 121 | $17M | $139,371 | 952 | vs | |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette 37 over cap | 142 | $15M | $104,553 | 956 | vs | |
| Old Dominion University 11 over cap | 116 | $15M | $127,477 | 961 | vs | |
| University of South Alabama 17 over cap | 122 | $14M | $114,204 | 955 | vs | |
| Marshall University 13 over cap | 118 | $14M | $114,997 | 951 | vs | |
| Appalachian State University 17 over cap | 122 | $13M | $108,926 | 955 | vs | |
| Georgia State University 13 over cap | 118 | $12M | $103,899 | 958 | vs | |
| Arkansas State University 48 over cap | 153 | $12M | $75,402 | 972 | vs | |
| Georgia Southern University 41 over cap | 146 | $11M | $76,886 | 949 | vs | |
| Louisiana Tech University 7 over cap | 112 | $11M | $99,305 | 964 | vs | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi 8 over cap | 113 | $11M | $97,639 | 945 | vs | |
| Troy University 24 over cap | 129 | $10M | $79,700 | 961 | vs | |
| University of Louisiana Monroe 12 over cap | 117 | $7.8M | $66,434 | 966 | vs |
Every Sun Belt Conference football program · Football budgets ranked