Liberty Has Several Schedule Updates Ahead of Season
Early in August, when the Big Ten and Pac-12 cancelled their fall football seasons, Liberty’s 2020 season hung in the balance. Fortunately for the Flames, the ACC decided to push forward, along with smaller conferences like the Sun Belt and Conference-USA, meaning Liberty would have the chance to play if they could put together a competitive schedule.
Athletic Director Ian McCaw and Liberty football announced a revised, 10-game schedule August 19, giving the Flames a chance to be bowl-eligible for the second straight season if they win five games.
“We were fortunate to be able to put together a really attractive 10-game schedule that is going to challenge this football team but also give us the opportunity to compete for a bowl berth,” McCaw said in an Aug. 19 interview. “That is, of course, our goal every year.”
In the new schedule, the Flames pushed the first game back to Sep. 19 at Western Kentucky. Liberty then will play the home opener against Florida International Sep. 26 in Williams Stadium.
“We began to reach out to other schools and look at other opportunities for us,” McCaw said. “Coach Freeze felt it would not be best to start early, as many of the other conferences – the SEC and ACC – have delayed starts.”
Two notable additions to Liberty’s 2020 football schedule are familiar opponents North Alabama and Coastal Carolina.
The North Alabama Lions compete in the Big South for football, while the rest of their athletics teams play in the ASUN. Both Liberty and UNA joined the ASUN in 2018.
“It always helps when you have a relationship,” McCaw said. “We have a great one with (UNA Athletic Director) Mark Linder and North Alabama. They are a great member of the ASUN and an emerging football program.”
The Flames will host the Lions Oct. 3 in one of Liberty’s two FCS competitions.
For longtime Flames fans, the addition of Coastal Carolina to the schedule brings back memories of a longtime rivalry, dating back to both schools’ former Big South memberships.
The Flames and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers each made the jump to FBS competition in recent years, as Coastal joined the Sun Belt in 2017 and Liberty become an independent in 2018.
“It is a great series (and a) tremendous rivalry,” McCaw said. “It is one that Liberty fans should be very excited about.”
The two schools last met in 2016, when the Chanticleers defeated Liberty 42-7 on national television, moving the all-time series to seven wins each. Both teams are 5-2 against each other at home.
The teams will meet Dec. 5 in Conway, South Carolina, to close out the season.
With exception of Notre Dame, which is playing nearly an exclusive ACC schedule in 2020, Liberty became the primary “fill in” team for the Atlantic Coast Conference, with three games against the regional Power Five teams.
The Flames moved their in-state contest against Virginia Tech, originally scheduled for Sep. 5 in Blacksburg, back to Nov. 7. Liberty will also travel to play ACC opponents Syracuse (Oct. 17) and N.C. State (Nov. 21) as part of their revised schedule.
After communicating with a myriad of schools and working to create a competitive schedule for 2020, McCaw is happy with the final result his team came up with.
“We are really pleased with where (the schedule) is,” McCaw said. “It has been challenging for everyone, but I think we ended up in a really good place.”
Christian Weaner is the Assistant Sports Editor. Follow Him on Twitter at @christianweaner.