HARRISONBURG, Va. – JMU men’s basketball team announced on Wednesday that they’re getting a new look this year. Between a new arena and a new head coach, 2020 looks like a year of change for the Dukes.
Mark Byington, JMU’s new men’s basketball coach who graduated from Salem High School, is a local to the area.
“My mom and dad are an hour and a half away, they can make it to a lot of games and I have a lot of friends and family who are still in the Virginia area,” Byington said. “Virginia feels like home, I forgot how cool fall is around here. Lookout and see leaves changing, haven’t seen that in a while.”
On Wednesday, the university also unveiled its new state-of-the-art basketball arena. The Atlantic Union Bank Center will host both men’s and women’s basketball, their offices, practice facilities, weight room and a capacity of 8,500 fans.
“We have one of the nicest arenas in the country, definitely nicest in our league,” Byington said. “It’s going to be great player experience, fan experience, we have to have the product on the floor to match the building, that’s the challenge, that’s the fun part.”
The Dukes tip-off on Wednesday, November 25th.