HARRISONBURG, Va., Nov. 24, 2009 - James Madison and Virginia Tech will play during the 2010 football season, athletics directors at the two universities announced Tuesday.

The game is schedule for Sept. 11 in Blacksburg and will be the seventh series meeting.

On JMU's slate of 2010 games, the contest with Virginia Tech replaces a scheduled meeting with Virginia Military Institute.  The Dukes during the 2010 season also will host Morehead State and Liberty in non-conference games and will play eight Colonial Athletic Association opponents.  Virginia Tech had been scheduled to play Western Michigan Sept. 11 but pushed the game to the 2016 season, allowing Western Michigan to accept an offer to play Notre Dame.

JMU's complete 2010 scheduled is yet to be finalized following the recent elimination of Northeastern University's football program.  The Dukes had been scheduled to close the 2010 season against Northeastern, but the entire CAA league schedule will be reworked because of Northeastern's departure.

JMU last played Virginia Tech during the 2003 season, and all of the series meetings have taken place in Blacksburg.  The teams also met in 1980, 1988, 1991, 1992 and 1999.  Virginia Tech has won each of the series games.

The 2010 season will be the fourth straight campaign during which JMU will have played a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.  The Dukes opened the 2007 season at North Carolina, the 2008 season at Duke and the 2009 season at Maryland.  During Coach Mickey Matthews' JMU tenure (1999-present) the Dukes also have played FBS foe West Virginia during the 2004 season in addition to two earlier meetings with Virginia Tech.

JMU completed the 2009 season with a 6-5 overall record and a 4-4 CAA mark.  The Dukes won their final four 2009 games and have a 55-20 record in six years since the beginning of the 2004 season.  They won the 2004 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title and also competed in the NCAA playoffs during the 2006, 2007 and 2008 seasons.