It will have been 15 years when James Madison makes its return.

JMU is going to play against Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg on Sept. 20, 2025, the two schools announced on Thursday.

“The victory at Virginia Tech in 2010 will stand forever as a great moment for the JMU football program,” Dukes athletic director Jeff Bourne said in a release. “It is a special opportunity for these two institutions to compete in football with so many connections between family and friends for so many folks in the state of Virginia.”

The last time the two met, JMU rallied to beat Virginia Tech 21-16 in 2010 for one the biggest upsets in contests pitting the FBS against the FCS. Virginia Tech was ranked No. 13 in the country at the time.

Then-quarterback Drew Dudzik had three total touchdowns and his 12-yard touchdown run with 13:45 to play gave the Dukes the lead they’d never look back from.

Virginia Tech leads the all-time series with a 6-1 mark against JMU.

JMU assistant athletic director for communications Kevin Warner said the school and North Carolina, which had originally scheduled a game for Nov. 22, 2025, will move that contest to another season. So the Dukes will play only the one FBS game, at Virginia Tech, that year.

Other future FBS dates for JMU include a trip to UNC next season and a trip to Louisville in 2022 on top of the Virginia Tech contest for 2025 and the additional game with UNC still needing a date.

This announcement comes on the heels of JMU scheduling a marquee home-and-home series last week with FCS power Weber State for 2021 in Utah and 2022 in Harrisonburg.