Historic First: James Madison and Jacksonville State Secure Bowl Spots
James Madison and Jacksonville State, both transitioning from the FCS to FBS level, will participate in their first-ever bowl games due to a shortage of eligible teams. James Madison, with an 11-1 record, initially considered legal action against the NCAA to become bowl eligible but decided against it. Jacksonville State finished its first FBS season with an 8-4 record. One more team is needed to fill all the bowl games, and Minnesota has the highest APR score among the 5-7 teams.