Ridiculous NCAA rule may prevent best Sun Belt team from playing in bowl game

If the NCAA knows one thing, it's how to get in its own way.

In a crucial Sun Belt meeting, James Madison (6-0, 3-0 in Sun Belt) emphatically declared itself the cream of the conference with a 41-13 win over Georgia Southern (4-2, 1-1 in Sun Belt). In most years, there'd be no telling where the Dukes' outstanding season would end. Instead, thanks to an absurd NCAA rule, James Madison has a cap on its season.

The Dukes are ineligible for a bowl game this year due to it being their second as an FBS member. Per NCAA rules, programs transferring from FCS to FBS cannot compete in bowl games for two seasons.

In April, the NCAA rejected a request by the university to allow it to be bowl-eligible this season. Due to the NCAA rule, the Sun Belt won't allow James Madison to play in the conference championship game, citing its concern of having its champion ineligible for a bowl game.

The reasoning for the rule is ridiculous. Per CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah:

"While the rule will be a frustration for James Madison fans, it's intended as a buffer for programs transitioning without putting thought into their decision. Some teams have a great quarterback or roster that could compete for national acclaim; a transition to the FBS level is supposed to be a 50-year decision, not to capitalize on one team." 

The fear that FCS programs would only make a move to FBS for a quick financial reward before dipping back into the FCS seems like the NCAA creating an issue that doesn't exist. If that is an issue, it would seem far more reasonable for the NCAA to add legislation to its rulebook to prevent schools from constantly moving between football sub-divisions instead of penalizing teams for making the leap. 

It benefits James Madison to stay in the Sun Belt long-term. Per BreezeJMU, "Initially, JMU's FBS-specific expenses will outpace its gains — it's not until 2027-28 that it'll flip." Until then, James Madison "will receive $600,000 from the conference until 2023-24, $1.5 million annually for the next three academic years starting in 2024, then $2.5 million for the last two years each of the transition."

The Dukes have an outside shot of making a bowl game, but it would require not enough teams being bowl-eligible by the end of the season. That makes the NCAA's rule even more absurd. James Madison is good enough to qualify for a bowl game by itself. It doesn't need anyone's help, only for the NCAA to stop creating problems that were never there.