Being the Baltimore Sun’s assistant sports editor is Bennett Conlin’s day job. As a James Madison alum, his other title is co-owner and operator of the JMU Sports News X account alongside ESPN Richmond radio host — a friend and fellow JMU alum — Jack Fitzpatrick.
The pair started the outlet in 2018 to cover the school’s sports. Today, Conlin’s role includes monitoring what news to share with the account’s now more than 24,000 followers interested in James Madison athletics.
Oh — and trolling the No. 24 Dukes’ upcoming College Football Playoff opponent, No. 5 Oregon. And No. 11 Notre Dame. And No. 19 Virginia. Really, just about every other school in the state of Virginia. And the recently eliminated from NFL playoff contention Kansas City Chiefs.
The account has grown from roughly 12,000 followers to nearly 24,000 in just a week since it began its online ribbing of the Ducks following James Madison’s surprise entry into the CFP.
Uhhh is this real???
Oregon might be the slowest team we’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/ogyYSJ8vJ4
— JMU Sports News (@JMUSportsNews) December 11, 2025
Whether it was posting Oregon’s cinematic slowed-down footage with the caption, “Uhhh is this real??? Oregon might be the slowest team we’ve ever seen,” or sharing a clip of a redshirt freshman 6-foot-4, 325-pound JMU offensive lineman catching a fade ball in practice with the caption, “Oregon will not have an answer for this. Period,” the account has leaned heavily into the Ducks.
“It’s been a fun week, for sure,” Conlin said. “Just trolling Oregon fans, for lack of a better word.”
The account began in 2018 as a strictly news-focused outlet covering the Dukes’ athletic program, but it has evolved. Conlin and Fitzpatrick, then students, have watched James Madison football rise from an FCS program to FBS, climb to a conference championship, and now reach the playoffs.
Oregon will not have an answer for this. Period. pic.twitter.com/czcEEgUCpR
— JMU Sports News (@JMUSportsNews) December 12, 2025
The identity has changed, but not the pride in their alma mater or belief in its growth.
“It’s always been a process to figure out exactly what our voice will be,” Conlin said. “This past week, we sort of leaned into some of the jokes and having fun with it, mostly because we have a lot of respect for the JMU program and what they’ve accomplished.
“There’s an understanding that JMU does play high-level football. When they get into the playoffs, and you see all the national media basically saying they don’t belong, that they’re not any good, and treating them like a Division III program, you can either get upset or frustrated as a fan. For us, we just joke and try to poke fun at the conversation.”
JMU made the playoffs by being one of the five highest-ranked conference champions. James Madison was the second of two Group of Five champions to receive an automatic bid after a five-loss Duke defeated No. 17 Virginia in the ACC championship game.
Conlin watched the 27-20 Duke overtime win while house-sitting for his girlfriend’s parents, as multiple group chats on his phone exploded.
That left notable programs like Notre Dame on the outside looking in, despite being ranked No. 10 overall in the penultimate CFP rankings ahead of conference championship weekend.
“I think the fact of the matter is, all three of those teams (Notre Dame, Miami and Alabama) should have gotten in and deserve the right to play in the College Football Playoff,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban said on ESPN (Miami and Alabama did make the CFP). “… You’re going to have two teams in the playoff, no disrespect to the Group of Five, that are nowhere near ranked as highly as some other teams that are much better than them.”
Notre Dame got trolled, too. Conlin went on the JMU Sports News podcast and proclaimed: “I would not be surprised if we see a mass exodus of Notre Dame players to the Dukes… If you want that playoff entrance, it’s pretty obvious where you’ve got to go,” he said, laughing.
JMU is in the college football playoff. Notre Dame is not 🤔 @BennettConlin has a thought pic.twitter.com/grSHsVJhQt
— JMU Sports News (@JMUSportsNews) December 12, 2025
While clearly joking, Conlin has seen JMU talent, both players and coaches, translate to Power Four programs. The Dukes’ head coach, Bob Chesney, has already been hired as UCLA’s next head coach, though he will finish the CFP run with James Madison. Billy Napier will take over for Chesney.
The coach who guided JMU through its FCS-to-FBS transition and compiled a 52-9 record over five seasons was Curt Cignetti, who left and brought over 10 players with him to Indiana ahead of the 2024 season. The college football world has since seen how that move worked out for Cignetti and the Hoosiers.
For JMU fans and alumni, there may be some lingering feelings about coaches using the program as a stepping stone, but there is also pride in the proof of its national relevance.
“Cignetti seemed a little bit older, so there was sort of a thought that maybe he would stay for a while,” Conlin said. “Then the Indiana opportunity came, and obviously, he’s done an unbelievable job there. There’s a lot of love for Cignetti.
“There may be some hurt feelings with the way he went about his exit (taking so many JMU players), but it’s been cool for most people in the city. Those players going to the Big Ten and playing the way they have has been a lot of fun to see.”
Before the trolling, JMU Sports News was so official in its coverage that, according to Conlin, some recruits would DM the account asking it to share their film. But as JMU has grown into a CFP team, so too has the national attention, and debate, about its legitimacy. In response, Conlin and Fitzpatrick have leaned further into comedic social media jabs.
They welcome the ribbing back. When Oregon fans responded to the slowed-down Ducks video with a sped-up montage of JMU highlights satirically praising their speed, JMU Sports News reposted it with a response.
“The difference in team speed between JMU and Oregon is staggering,” they wrote. “The Dukes can fly! The Ducks, as Washington fans know well, are flightless.”
“It’s been fun to see Oregon fans take the jokes in stride and make their own,” Conlin said. “It’s enjoyable to interact with a fan base that’s so big. That’s not the same when you’re playing Louisiana Monroe in October. We’ve really enjoyed having a fan base on the other side that cares.”
Beneath the jokes sits real pride. Seeing JMU reach this stage confirms a meteoric rise that only those close to the program truly felt — but one that resonates nonetheless. Less than a decade ago, the Dukes were losing in the FCS playoffs. Now, they’re facing the country’s elite on the grandest stage.
“It’s awesome to see them at this stage,” Conlin said. “To go from playing Colgate less than a decade ago and losing in the playoffs to being at the FBS level and playing a game against Oregon is pretty incredible. It’s been a rapid rise.”
So what are the expectations? JMU is in the playoffs, rewarded with a road trip to Eugene as 21.5-point underdogs. What does Conlin and the rest of James Madison’s faithful expect?
“You want to have a chance in the fourth quarter,” Conlin said. “I think the defense will be able to hang for the most part. The running game is decent… JMU is going to have to figure out something in the passing game. If they can, I think it’s got a chance to be more competitive than people would expect. I think they’re a pretty solid football team, and I think they’re capable of making it a game.”
And if James Madison doesn’t?
Conlin and Fitzpatrick will be trolling all the same.
“You’ve got to poke fun at whatever happens,” Conlin said. “If JMU is competitive or wins, that’ll be exciting. If they get blown out, it’s a wake-up call for some fans and people in the program. But we’ll have fun with it to the end.”
