UConn Football Program Adding Series With James Madison, Old Dominion

STORRS, CT — The University of Connecticut football program Thursday announced two future home-and-home series against James Madison and Old Dominion.

Both teams hail from the Sun Belt Conference.

The first game of the new series is is scheduled for place next season, when UConn visits James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va., on Nov. 11, 2023. The Dukes will return the game and play the Huskies at Rentschler Field on Nov. 14, 2026, Director of Athletics David Benedict said.

UConn is 1-4 all-time against JMU, defeating the Dukes, 45-34, at UConn in 1993. The Huskies lost at JMU, 48-20, in 1994; lost 25-16, at JMU in 1995; lost 14-6 at UConn in 1996; and fell at JMU, 48-14, in 1999.

The Dukes went 12-2 last season, beating Southeastern Louisiana and Montana in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs before bowing to North Dakota State in the semifinals. JMU is moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision this season, as it joins the Sun Belt Conference.

UConn is scheduled to play Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 31, 2026, in the first-ever meeting between the schools. ODU will play at UConn the following season, on Sept. 25, 2027. The Monarchs finished at 6-7 in the 2021 season, bowing to Tulsa, 30-17, in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

Due to Liberty University's decision to join Conference USA beginning next season, UConn and Liberty have had to revise their football series agreement from three games to a straight home-and-home series, Benedict said. Liberty will play at UConn this season on Nov. 12 and the game scheduled for the 2023 season has been replaced on UConn's slate by the game at JMU. UConn is now slated to play the return game at Liberty on Nov. 13, 2027.