James Madison will no longer pursue legal action against the NCAA for bowl eligibility, the school said in a statement Tuesday night.
Last week, the NCAA denied James Madison's request for a postseason waiver to be able to play in a bowl this season. Because the Dukes are in the second year of a transition from the FCS to FBS, they are not eligible for the postseason.
But following a 10-0 start and denial of that waiver, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares had threatened legal action, saying last week, «This injustice transcends athletics, and should not be allowed to stand.» James Madison lost to Appalachian State 26-23 on Saturday, ending its perfect season.
In its statement Tuesday, the school said that loss «changed the landscape in terms of the nature and timing of our legal options, including the diminished viability of a lawsuit against the NCAA.» «On Saturday evening, following the game, we consulted with Attorney General Miyares and his staff, as well as with our outside counsel, and the consensus was that filing emergency legal action against the NCAA was not a viable course of action at this point in time,» the school said. «The University's focus now is on getting the football team into a bowl game, and it appears that such a result is still a strong possibility.