JMU Duke Dog
September 14th, 2005, 07:45 AM
http://www.dnronline.com/sports_details.php?AID=603&CHID=3
JMU To Play UNC In Football Posted 2005-09-14
The Dukes will travel to travel to Chapel Hill twice in the next six years.
By Mike Barber
James Madison’s football squad will take on a team in powder blue in exchange for plenty of green.
The Dukes and North Carolina have signed a contract to play two games in Chapel Hill, one in 2007 and one in 2011.
UNC will pay Madison $300,000 for the Sept. 1, 2007 game, JMU athletic director Jeff Bourne said Tuesday, and $350,000 for the Sept. 3, 2011 game.
Some of those details apparently came as news to Dukes coach Mickey Matthews, who did not know that Madison had scheduled a second game with Carolina until a reporter told him so during practice Tuesday.
But even before learning about the series, he declined to discuss even the UNC game he knew about.
"No comment," Matthews said repeatedly. "No comment."
In the past, Matthews has expressed distaste for playing ranked I-A opponents. Although the big-budget Tar Heels have been mediocre or worse in recent seasons, they have been formidable in the past – as recently as 2001, UNC finished 8-5 and beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl.
How strong the Heels will be in two years, let alone in six, is anybody’s guess.
Nevertheless, by scheduling UNC, Bourne appears to have lined up a team at least slightly less objectionable to Matthews than past big-time opponents. JMU lost 45-10 to West Virginia in Morgantown last year and 43-0 to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg the year before. Both the Mountaineers and Hokies were ranked in the Top 10 at the time.
While Matthews declined comment Tuesday, last winter he made clear how he would prefer Bourne to line up I-A opponents.
"Do we like to schedule Top 25 teams? No," Matthews said in February. "Do we like playing I-A teams we feel we can beat? Yes."
It is unclear whether Matthews thinks the Dukes can beat UNC, but Bourne said JMU should have a better chance against the Heels than some other major-conference foes.
"It’s certainly more winnable than Virginia Tech, and more than an Alabama or some of the other schools that have in the past paid large guarantees," Bourne said. "You’re just not certain, five or six years away, what type of program a school is going to have."
The Dukes and Alabama discussed playing each other but never scheduled a game.
Although Matthews apparently hadn’t been told about the second UNC game, Bourne said he and the seventh-year coach discuss potential schools to schedule.
"We talk a lot about opponents back and forth," Bourne said. "We make sure we’re on the same page as much as possible."
Carolina was added to the schedule when an oral agreement to play Hampton in 2006 and 2007 fell apart.
"The reason we dropped Hampton was because we needed a home game," said Bourne, adding that the schools never had a signed agreement. "They came back and said they wanted us to play there first."
While that opened the 2007 slot for North Carolina, it also left JMU with an extra opening next season. The Dukes now must fill two slots in 2006.
Bourne said he is pursuing a Division II opponent and a Patriot League team. Next year’s only non-conference game is at VMI, part of an alternating, home-and-home series that runs through 2010. Bourne said he hopes to have the 2006 schedule finished by early October.
North Carolina is the second ACC team on future Madison schedules. Duke is paying JMU $150,000 to travel to Durham on Sept. 8, 2008.
Although UNC will be a heavy favorite over Madison, upsets happen. Last season, William & Mary nearly beat the Heels, leading 24-14 at the half before falling 49-38. The Tribe went on to the I-AA national semifinals, where it lost to JMU.
North Carolina had a 6-6 record in 2004, including an upset of then No. 4 Miami.
UNC will play a I-AA team in five of the next six seasons.
Bourne is also pursuing an in-state school for a multi-game contract beginning in 2008. Liberty is a candidate, but Bourne would not divulge any of the other schools he’s speaking to. Striking a deal for a 2008 game would mean the Dukes’ next three seasons would be full.
Also Tuesday, Bourne said if the Dukes return to the Division I-AA playoffs this year, he expects to be awarded a home game.
"We believe firmly we would. We’ve done some preliminary work on that, looking at the possibilities and what challenges we’d face if we did have a home game, but being national champion last year should give us an opportunity to host."
JMU To Play UNC In Football Posted 2005-09-14
The Dukes will travel to travel to Chapel Hill twice in the next six years.
By Mike Barber
James Madison’s football squad will take on a team in powder blue in exchange for plenty of green.
The Dukes and North Carolina have signed a contract to play two games in Chapel Hill, one in 2007 and one in 2011.
UNC will pay Madison $300,000 for the Sept. 1, 2007 game, JMU athletic director Jeff Bourne said Tuesday, and $350,000 for the Sept. 3, 2011 game.
Some of those details apparently came as news to Dukes coach Mickey Matthews, who did not know that Madison had scheduled a second game with Carolina until a reporter told him so during practice Tuesday.
But even before learning about the series, he declined to discuss even the UNC game he knew about.
"No comment," Matthews said repeatedly. "No comment."
In the past, Matthews has expressed distaste for playing ranked I-A opponents. Although the big-budget Tar Heels have been mediocre or worse in recent seasons, they have been formidable in the past – as recently as 2001, UNC finished 8-5 and beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl.
How strong the Heels will be in two years, let alone in six, is anybody’s guess.
Nevertheless, by scheduling UNC, Bourne appears to have lined up a team at least slightly less objectionable to Matthews than past big-time opponents. JMU lost 45-10 to West Virginia in Morgantown last year and 43-0 to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg the year before. Both the Mountaineers and Hokies were ranked in the Top 10 at the time.
While Matthews declined comment Tuesday, last winter he made clear how he would prefer Bourne to line up I-A opponents.
"Do we like to schedule Top 25 teams? No," Matthews said in February. "Do we like playing I-A teams we feel we can beat? Yes."
It is unclear whether Matthews thinks the Dukes can beat UNC, but Bourne said JMU should have a better chance against the Heels than some other major-conference foes.
"It’s certainly more winnable than Virginia Tech, and more than an Alabama or some of the other schools that have in the past paid large guarantees," Bourne said. "You’re just not certain, five or six years away, what type of program a school is going to have."
The Dukes and Alabama discussed playing each other but never scheduled a game.
Although Matthews apparently hadn’t been told about the second UNC game, Bourne said he and the seventh-year coach discuss potential schools to schedule.
"We talk a lot about opponents back and forth," Bourne said. "We make sure we’re on the same page as much as possible."
Carolina was added to the schedule when an oral agreement to play Hampton in 2006 and 2007 fell apart.
"The reason we dropped Hampton was because we needed a home game," said Bourne, adding that the schools never had a signed agreement. "They came back and said they wanted us to play there first."
While that opened the 2007 slot for North Carolina, it also left JMU with an extra opening next season. The Dukes now must fill two slots in 2006.
Bourne said he is pursuing a Division II opponent and a Patriot League team. Next year’s only non-conference game is at VMI, part of an alternating, home-and-home series that runs through 2010. Bourne said he hopes to have the 2006 schedule finished by early October.
North Carolina is the second ACC team on future Madison schedules. Duke is paying JMU $150,000 to travel to Durham on Sept. 8, 2008.
Although UNC will be a heavy favorite over Madison, upsets happen. Last season, William & Mary nearly beat the Heels, leading 24-14 at the half before falling 49-38. The Tribe went on to the I-AA national semifinals, where it lost to JMU.
North Carolina had a 6-6 record in 2004, including an upset of then No. 4 Miami.
UNC will play a I-AA team in five of the next six seasons.
Bourne is also pursuing an in-state school for a multi-game contract beginning in 2008. Liberty is a candidate, but Bourne would not divulge any of the other schools he’s speaking to. Striking a deal for a 2008 game would mean the Dukes’ next three seasons would be full.
Also Tuesday, Bourne said if the Dukes return to the Division I-AA playoffs this year, he expects to be awarded a home game.
"We believe firmly we would. We’ve done some preliminary work on that, looking at the possibilities and what challenges we’d face if we did have a home game, but being national champion last year should give us an opportunity to host."