The JMU Dukes are on to the next round of the FCS playoffs. The football team takes on Villanova Saturday.

Interest among students is especially high, and many are clamoring for tickets, but they're selling out fast. A $52-million project may help ease that problem.

After a win Saturday against Wofford, the team is looking forward to this Saturday. However, JMU's athletics director Jeff Bourne is looking even further ahead.

"The seating expansion, press box, suites, and club/lounge area is all slated to go in, in this next phase," says Bourne.

After next season ends, phase one of the Bridgeforth Stadium expansion starts. That phase will increase seating by more than 9,000, bringing total seats to almost 25,000.

Once the entire expansion project is completed, the stadium will hold about 40,000 people. Bourne says there is no specific time line yet for the project's final phases.

"It has a significant impact not only on the university but our whole community," says Bourne.

JMU junior and long-time football fan Ben White is wondering how this will impact the team beyond increasing seating capacity.

"For a better experience, I think, yeah. But, I'm hoping if we go I-A, we'll compete with teams like Virginia Tech and maybe we'll get more fans. But, I don't see how a bigger stadium is going to get you more fans," says White.

Fans like sophomore Alexandra Wolff also want to know if this is all leading to a step up to Division I-A football.

"Unfortunately, though, usually what happens when we go from I-AA to I-A, we're probably not going to start off as well," says Wolff. "So, I think that the large increasing number of people trying to get in is that we're doing well this season."

"But right now, we're very happy where we are," says Bourne. "We love competing at the upper levels of FCS, and hopefully win the championship at that level."

Phase one of the construction is expected to start when the 2009 season ends. There are still numerous naming opportunities for the new venues being constructed as part of the stadium.

Ticket sales for this weekend's game will open to the general public on Wednesday and they are expected to sell out quickly.