James Madison Home Opener Moved To Thursday

With the storm expected to make landfall later this week, the Dukes (1-1) have moved their home opener and non-conference contest against Robert Morris (1-1) from Saturday at 6 p.m. to Thursday at 7 p.m., according to Kevin Warner, the school’s assistant athletic director for communications.

“We’ve been tracking everything related to this storm since Sunday morning,” Warner said. “And we’ve worked with campus officials and state officials as well, and we want to keep [everyone safe]: our fans, student athletes, and other guests. And that’s why ultimately we felt like, while the storm still can track various directions, that it was in our best interest to see if another date could be possible.”

Gov. Ralph Northam has already declared a state of emergency.

Warner said JMU worked with Robert Morris, the Colonial Athletic Association and the Northeast Conference to agree on Thursday and the kickoff time.

Dukes coach Mike Houston said he spoke with Robert Morris coach Bernard Clark and it was clear both parties wanted to get the game in. Houston said JMU helped Robert Morris with accommodations because of the switch on short notice.

After this past Saturday’s storm-shortened win at Norfolk State, Houston is happy his team will get its Week 3 game in ahead of the Sept. 22 CAA opener against William & Mary in Harrisonburg.

“We had to,” Houston said. “We cannot go into William & Mary and conference play with just a game and a quarter. We got to have a full ballgame under our belt, so we’re excited to have the opportunity and Robert Morris will be a great challenge for us.”

JMU’s roster is littered with players from North Carolina, and Virginia’s 757 — two areas in the projected path of the storm.

Houston said he talked with those players.

“We all have loved ones that are on the Carolina coastline, Virginia Beach coastline,” Houston said, “so I know that all of them are making preparations.

“The thing I always encourage our players to do in times like this is make sure they take care of themselves. That’s one less thing mom and dad have to worry about and as long as they do that and make sure they’re taking care of their business, the adults can, for the most part, handle themselves.”

Junior linebacker Dimitri Holloway, a Newport News native, said he knows his family is bracing for the storm.

“I’m going to call my mom tonight,” Holloway said. “I’m going to see what the plans are because I know it’s going to hit the 757 area hard, but, hopefully, everything will be fine down there.

“As long as I know they have a plan, it’ll be all right for me, but I got to handle my job up here like my mom has to handle her business back home.”

Tickets for Saturday’s previously scheduled game are valid for Thursday, Warner said, but that the school would work with those who cannot make it to Bridgeforth Stadium for the game.

“Anybody who had individual game tickets or season tickets and is not able to come, we’re going to credit their account according to the value of the ticket to be applied to a future game,” Warner said. “That could be another home game this year, a playoff game this year, a 2019 football game or a comp toward their season-ticket purchase next year.”

The JMU-Robert Morris game was set to air on NBCSN-Washington Plus, but now will air on NBCSN-Washington, Warner said. It will also be available online via MadiZONE.

Elsewhere around the CAA, William & Mary’s home contest versus Elon slated for Saturday is postponed to a later date to be determined by the schools and the league.