Snowball Fight Disrupts College Football Championship

During the Sun Belt Conference Championship game between James Madison and Troy on Friday, a playful yet disruptive snowball fight broke out among fans. This prompted James Madison’s athletic director, Matt Rohn, to make an announcement urging home fans to cease throwing snowballs onto the field to avoid penalties against the Dukes.

The warning came shortly after Troy’s punter, Evan Crenshaw, was nearly hit by a snowball while punting from the end zone, facing away from the JMU student section. Fortunately, he managed to complete a 26-yard punt, which helped the Dukes shortly afterward with their first score—a 40-yard field goal.

Interestingly, the snowball throwing began during the pregame warm-ups, and even the marching band felt the chilly impact on them. Despite multiple PA announcements aimed at curbing the fun, fans continued to toss snowballs well into the first half.

On that day, around 1.5 inches of snow fell in Harrisonburg, marking the season’s first significant snowfall. It added a unique atmosphere to the championship, though one could argue it became a bit chaotic.

To wrap up football-related excitement, JMU secured a victory over Troy, while Virginia, ranked 16th, lost to Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship, setting the stage for potential playoff advancements.