How James Madison built an athletic powerhouse NBC4 Washington [Video]

James Madison’s moment in the college sports spotlight has been years in the making. The Dukes’ NCAA Tournament victory over Wisconsin was not so much a singular event, but the continuation of a string of successes that dates back almost a decade.

A school that 17 years ago drew criticism for cutting 10 sports from its athletic department is now reaping the rewards of a broad, methodical plan to lift James Madison from a regional school in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to a national brand.

“We’ve always had a vision in mind,” JMU athletic director Jeff Bourne said Saturday. “Where do you want to end up? What is it that athletics can do to help foster this growth of the institution?”

James Madison’s wire-to-wire win against Wisconsin earned the 12th-seeded Dukes a second-round matchup Sunday against fourth-seeded Duke at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“Once I came there I thought it could …