The James Madison Dukes, a collegiate athletic program, represent James Madison University (JMU) in intercollegiate sports. They are not a company, but an integral part of JMU’s vibrant campus life. The program operates primarily in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where JMU is located, participating in the NCAA’s Division I. The Dukes compete in various sports, fostering a spirit of teamwork and excellence among students and supporters alike.
Founded as part of James Madison University, the James Madison Dukes began their journey in collegiate sports upon the university’s establishment in 1908. Over the years, they have garnered significant achievements, including national championships in multiple sports such as football and lacrosse. These triumphs have elevated the Dukes to a prestigious position within collegiate athletics. Today, they continue to uphold a legacy of excellence, competing in the Sun Belt Conference and maintaining a strong presence in NCAA Division I sports, symbolizing the spirit and dedication of JMU and its community.
What is James Madison Dukes?
Essentially, they are James Madison University’s athletic teams, participating in NCAA Division I sports. The Dukes, embodying the university’s ethos, compete in various sports, showcasing skill, sportsmanship, and the pursuit of excellence.
The very first logo for the James Madison University athletic team was introduced in 1986 and featured a funny and friendly caricature of a bulldog, standing on a stylized bold “JMU” wordmark. The bulldog was supposed to look scary and dangerous, but it didn’t really work, as on the logo the dog look more like it was smiling. The mascot was wearing a crown and a purple king’s cloak, complemented by a spiked golden collar. As for the inscription, it was executed in an extra-bold Sans-serif typeface, with its slanted capital letters written in intense yellow and outlined in black.
The redesign of 2002 refined and strengthened the JMU logo, adding more purple color to the background, and emboldening the contours of all elements. The color palette was also elevated, and the look of the whole badge became a lot more modern and strong than the previous version. Some white accents were added to the bodies of the letters, which gave gloss and a sense of motion to the composition.
The James Madison Dukes badge was redesigned again in 2013, changing its color palette to purple and white, and keeping pale gold only for the crown, collar, and lettering. The whole badge was now outlined in white and purple, which created a good contrast and made the logo visible on various backgrounds now. In terms of style and shapes, all the elements and structure of the badge itself haven’t been changed at all.
In 2017, the university made a more decisive step and removed Duke Dog from the emblem altogether. Now, the James Madison Dukes logo features only the letters “JMU” in gold with purple trim.
JMU men’s baseball team has competed in the NCAA Division I Tournament five times. They played in the 1976 NCAA Division II Tournament. The Dukes have made five appearances in the National Invitation Tournament, two appearances in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, and one appearance in the College Basketball Invitational.
James Madison University sponsors the longest-running women’s basketball program in the US (since 1920).
The Dukes are coached by Marlin Ikenberry. The university’s program started in 1970. They play their home games at Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park.
PURPLE
PANTONE: 2685
HEX COLOR: #450084;
RGB: (69, 0, 132)
CMYK: (92, 98, 0, 0)
GOLD
PANTONE: 4515
HEX COLOR: #CBB677;
RGB: (203, 182, 119)
CMYK: (0, 9, 50, 24)