The James Madison Dukes continue to impress the college football world in 2023, and truly since they joined the FBS. Hosting ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday, the program didn’t only set a new record for the long-standing college football pregame tradition, they shattered the attendance record.
JMU Sets New College GameDay Attendance Record
College GameDay set up shop in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this weekend and the crowd was at an all-time high.
A new record was broken for attendance at College GameDay as it was announced that 26,000 people were present for the show. The announcement was made to all the fans who loaded up The Quad. ESPN’s Pete Thamel confirmed the attendance number on the social media platform X.
The previous record for attendance for the show was back in 2010 when Missouri hosted College GameDay when they played Oklahoma. The first time Missouri had hosted the program, the Tiger faithful set the new standard for attendance. That show had 18,000 people present for the show at the time.
Prior to Missouri owning the record, it was Nebraska who claimed the record back in 2001 when they hosted the crew for their matchup against Notre Dame. There were 15,800 fans who showed up that morning.
James Madison has been in the news this week as the NCAA denied the football program to be eligible to play in a bowl game.
This was the first time that College GameDay set up their stage at James Madison since 2017, and the third time overall. James Madison has had their fair share of raucous crowds during their times hosting GameDay, but a new record for attendance at a whopping 26,000 is outrageous.
MORE: College GameDay All-Time Appearances
JMU has set the new standard for rowdy crowds at the pregame staple.
The Dukes are taking on Appalachian State as they look to stay undefeated after a 10-0 start to their 2023 season.