JMU enters 2026 as a Sun Belt contender amid coaching and roster transition

Preseason Group of Six coverage identifies James Madison as a team to beat in the Sun Belt while emphasizing Billy Napier's first season after Bob Chesney's departure. JMU has only five returning starters and 39 transfers, though Zach Greenberg's return provides a key continuity point; the season opens against Liberty on September 5, followed by the September 19 trip to San Diego State, while the October 29 game against Troy remains an early storyline.