"Upgrades push JMU to top of FCS"

From The Associated Press


Review by Miranda Brewer in KIN 332 (Section 1)

After being away at an internship all summer, James Madison linebacker Pat Williams was in awe at the sight of the new stadium. “It was kind of overwhelming,” said Williams. The new stadium is now the biggest in the Colonial Athletic Association, with new heights in expectations to match. The Dukes have not been back to the playoffs since the semifinal loss to Montana in 2008, but they are expected to finish second in the conference this year. In regards to the stadium itself, head coach Mickey Matthews says the renovations on the home sideline give it an “SEC” feel. The new stadium holds 25,000 people, which is approximately 10,000 more than it did before. Athletic director Jeff Bourne says the next phase of upgrades would increase capacity to around 40,000. Bourne shrugged off the assumption that the expansion is the foundation for a move into the Football Bowl Subdivision. "I-A is really not on the radar screen at this point," he said. "The bottom line is to be the absolute best program in the FCS right now, head to toe."

Marketing comes into play in this article when it talks about the VIP areas. There is a club level on the third floor of the stadium and VIP suites on the fourth. These areas pour money into the university with $200 per club level seat, and as much as $4,500 per suite per game. The first game was almost completely sold out, mostly thanks to the JMU marketing team and their “25K Strong” campaign. The campaign was an effort to fill the stadium for the Dukes’ first home game on September 10, 2011.