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A college football conference championship turned into a snowball fight Friday that resulted in a player nearly getting 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 public address message to home fans, warning them to stop throwing snowballs onto the field or risk a penalty for JMU.
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James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III (14) celebrates after a touchdown against Troy during the first half of the Sun Belt Championship NCAA college football game in Harrisonburg, Virginia, 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 punting from the end zone with the JMU student section behind him. Crenshaw scored 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 attacked. They kept it up for most of the first half, despite repeated warnings over the public address system.
Harrisonburg received about 1 1/2 inches of snow on Friday, the first measurable snowfall of the season.
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James Madison’s team celebrates after winning the Sun Belt Championship NCAA college football game against Troy in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)
No. 19 JMU has a long shot to make the College Football Playoff field with a win over Troy and a loss for No. 16 Virginia to Duke in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
