JMU athletic director pleads with fans to stop throwing snowballs after punter is nearly hit: ‘Please stop’
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A college football conference championship descended into a snowball fight on Friday that resulted in a player nearly being hit in a moment that may 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 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, on 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 shanked 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 warm-ups when the Dukes’ marching band got pelted. They kept it up for most of the first half, despite repeated warnings over the PA system.
Harrisonburg received about 1 1/2 inches of snow on Friday, its first measurable snowfall of the season.
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The James Madison team celebrates after winning the Sun Belt championship NCAA college football game against Troy in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)
No. 19 JMU has an outside shot at making the College Football Playoff field with a win over Troy and a loss by No. 16 Virginia to Duke in Saturday’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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