There’s nothing wrong with playing college football at the FCS level, especially when you’re good at it. In the case of the James Madison Dukes, they’re definitely good at it. Since the turn of the century, the Dukes have emerged as a powerhouse at the FCS level, creating an incredible demand for last-minute James Madison football tickets. Of course, since they are still an FCS program, it’s a lot easier than you think to find cheap James Madison football tickets, making the Dukes one of the best values in college football.

The Mick and the Dukes

Since the Dukes started playing football in 1972, James Madison has always had a respectable football program. They qualified for the FCS playoffs and earned a top-25 ranking multiple times in the late 1980s and early 90s. But it was head coach Mickey Matthews who took James Madison to another level. He took over the Dukes in 1999, immediately leading them to their second conference title in program history. His 15-year tenure was punctuated by James Madison winning the 2004 FCS national championship. By the time he left James Madison after the 2013 season, he had almost unknowingly built a powerhouse program.

The Wins Keep Coming

After Matthews left, a strong foundation and tradition had been built at James Madison, making it easy for several of his predecessors to continue the program’s success. In 2016, Mike Houston led the Dukes to their second national championship in program history. The following year, James Madison fell painfully short of a second consecutive title, losing to North Dakota State, a burgeoning dynasty. It was a similar story during Curt Cignetti’s first season in 2019, as the Dukes once again lost the championship game to North Dakota State. However, there is no doubt that James Madison is one of the premier programs at the FCS level and has more championships in its future.