American Conference Admits James Madison in Unanimous Vote
Irving – October 12, 2026 -- The American Conference Board of Directors voted unanimously to admit James Madison University (JMU) as a full member, with competition to begin no later than July 1, 2028. The deal adds media inventory to the conference's existing platform and raises distributions for current members.
Six-part review preceded the vote
JMU submitted a formal written application, after which the conference ran a due diligence process covering six areas: institutional and academic alignment; competitive strength and trajectory; institutional investment; financial sustainability and member value; brand, media value and fan engagement; and geography and operational fit. The conference also commissioned a quantitative media-value study examining market characteristics, audience performance, fan engagement and competitive performance.