Kickoff is approaching as we are less than three months away from Liberty’s season opener on Aug. 30 against Maine. There are a few games that will help define Liberty’s 2025 season, here are our top three, in order of when they appear on the schedule:
Sept. 6 at Jax State
Week 2 offers a big challenge for the Flames as Liberty hits the road to take on the defending conference champs. There are a lot of unknowns about this year’s version of the Gamecocks as Rich Rod has exited and Auburn co-DC Charles Kelly takes over as the head coach. Jax State will be looking to prove they are not a one-man band and can continue to compete for a conference championship in post-Rich Rod. Liberty will be looking to get back on the right footing after losing three conference games last year to finish in 4th place.
Sept. 20 vs James Madison
This is an obvious no-brainer. The Flames could finish in the middle of the CUSA standings, but a win over James Madison will give the program bragging rights over their in-state Sun Belt rival. A win over the Dukes as well as a strong season that includes a CUSA championship and the Flames can be talking about where they rank among the top Group of Five teams in the country. This game will be the first time JMU and LU have met up since making the move to the FBS in recent years. Expect a capacity crowd at Williams Stadium for this one.
Oct. 8 at UTEP
It feels like the first two on this list are pretty obvious but choosing just one or two after that becomes difficult. The trip to in-state foe ODU the week after the JMU game could be considered. Just about any conference game could be picked as well. Ultimately, we have chosen the game in early October at UTEP. For starters, it is the second conference game of the year for the Flames. Getting off to a strong start will be paramount as the Flames want to get back to the CUSA Championship game. Additionally, it is expected that the Miners will be more competitive than they have historically been as they enter year two under head coach Scotty Walden. An early October game at the Sun Bowl against Liberty will be one the Miners have circled as they look to leave CUSA competing for a conference title.
