HARRISONBURG — James Madison officially closed the book on its 2016 championship season Saturday following the program’s annual spring game.

After a few months of celebrating since the Dukes’ 28-14 win over Youngstown State in Frisco, Texas, in the FCS title game in January, coaches and players from that team were given their championship rings during an on-field ceremony after the scrimmage.

“What a special day for JMU,” second-year coach Mike Houston said. “We got to see a glimpse of the 2017 Dukes today and reflect back a little bit at 2016 with our graduating seniors who were back with us.

“What a special scene and special moment, not only for those kids on the field, but for their families. It’s something I don’t think they’ll ever forget.”

The rings, made by Jostens, featured a block “M” for Madison set in front of the NCAA national championship trophy on the front part of the ring. On one side, the ring had “CAA Champs” along with the Colonial Athletic Association trophy and “14-1” for the 14-1 record the team had this past season. On the other side of the ring was the coach’s name or player’s name along with the JMU football helmet.

“Opening the box was incredible,” quarterback Bryan Schor said. “It was everything I expected it to be and more, so to open the box and have something tangible from the championship is something that’s really special.”

Safety Jordan Brown said the unveiling of the rings is something he’ll always remember.

“Breathtaking,” Brown said. “Just watching the video and going up to the ring ceremony, you get chills running down your spine. It just shows how hard we worked for it, and today we got to celebrate it.”

Cornerback Jimmy Moreland said having the graduated seniors from the championship team like running back Khalid Abdullah and cornerback Taylor Reynolds back in town made the day even more special.

“It was a lovable moment,” Moreland said. “The team came together with our senior leaders who came back, so it was a big family reunion as a whole because you had parents there and all the fan support. It was just like a big, happy family reunion.”