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A college football conference championship turned into a snowball fight Friday, during which a player was nearly hit in a moment that could have impacted the game.
During James Madison’s Sun Belt Conference championship game against Troy on Friday, James Madison athletic director Matt Roan had to send a PA message to home fans, warning them to stop throwing snowballs on the field or risk a JMU penalty.
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James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III (14) celebrates after a touchdown against Troy during the first half of the NCAA Sun Belt Championship college football game in Harrisonburg, Va., Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)
Roan’s warning came shortly after Troy punter Evan Crenshaw was nearly hit by a snowball while running out of the end zone with the JMU student section behind him. Crenshaw kicked a 26-yard punt that helped set up the Dukes’ first score, a 40-yard field goal.
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A general view of the stadium during the second half of the NCAA Division I FCS Football Championship Quarterfinal game between the James Madison Dukes and the North Dakota Fighting Hawks at Bridgeforth Stadium on May 2, 2021, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Fans in the student section began throwing snowballs during pregame warmups when the Dukes marching band was bombed. They kept up the pace for most of the first half, despite repeated warnings over the PA system.
Harrisonburg received about 1 1/2 inches of snow Friday, its first measurable snowfall of the season.
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The James Madison team celebrates after winning the NCAA Sun Belt Championship college football game against Troy in Harrisonburg, Va., Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)
No. 19 JMU has an outside chance of qualifying for the College Football Playoff with a win over Troy and a loss for No. 16 Virginia to Duke in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
