It’s almost Christmas, so that means the Christmas lists are getting checked off item by item, and all should completed by Christmas Eve (or at least a picture of the item will be printed off for any gifts on delay). Here at A Sea of Red, we thought it would be fun to make a wishlist for Flames fans and come up with a list of a few things we would love to see from Liberty Athletics in the 2024 athletic year. 

  • A Fiesta Bowl win
      • This goes without saying, but a Fiesta Bowl victory over Oregon would undoubtedly be the greatest accomplishment in Liberty Athletics history and would establish our football program as an elite G5 program.
  • A Team National Championship
      • Liberty Field Hockey came oh so close to giving the university it’s first-ever national championship in 2021, but Liberty has yet to accomplish this feat at the Division I level. Will 2024 be the year the Flames bring home a national title? 
  • Home & Home Series for MBB vs DI Virginia Schools
      • Remember Liberty’s 2019 season opener against Radford? The Flames got revenge on Carlik Jones and the Highlanders from the 2018 Big South Championship in what was the most electric regular-season home game I can remember as a student. That was in the Vines Center, I can only imagine how much better a game versus a Commonwealth rival would be in Liberty Arena. Liberty has had four games against Virginia schools since this game, but none of them have been against Division I opponents. As much as I love opening the season to a 50-point victory over Regent, I would love to see the Flames play the likes of a JMU, Richmond, VCU, Radford, George Mason, etc. Shoot, I’d even be happy with Longwood!
  • 2024 MBB CUSA Championship & a Cinderella Run
      • Staying with men’s basketball, this would make the year for most Flames fans. Liberty was so close to making it back to the Big Dance last season and hopes that their first year in CUSA will be the year they return. Liberty has had a strong start to the season, defeating multiple teams who made it to the NCAA Tournament last year. The Flames have made five appearances in the Big Dance and have won a game once, in 2019. Could this be the first year since 2021 that the Flames put on their dancing shoes and maybe even make a Cinderella run? 
  • A Baseball/Softball Super Regional Appearance
      • Since 2018, both Liberty Baseball and Softball have made three NCAA Tournament appearances each and have both made the Regional Finals. Softball even went up 2-0 in the 2018 Columbia Regional, before dropping two straight to host South Carolina. Will 2024 be the year that one of these programs makes a Super Regional? 
  • Kaidon Salter to stay on The Mountain
      • KSalt had an iconic 2023 season. The gunslinger broke multiple Liberty records, such as the single-season rushing yards (for a QB) record, the most touchdowns responsible for single-season record, and the single-season passing touchdowns mark. With Salter at the helm, Liberty went 13-0 (most wins in a season) and won their first-ever FBS conference championship. That got the Flames to their first-ever New Year’s Six Bowl which will be played on New Year’s Day. All that to say that Salter is an incredible talent and should he enter the transfer portal, would undoubtedly have plenty of offers from Power Five schools. However, if Salter does stay in Lynchburg, Liberty’s chances of winning another CUSA Championship and maybe even making a College Football Playoff appearance will go up substantially. 
  • Top 50 Recruiting Class for Football
      • Liberty is coming off of it’s greatest season in program history. 13-0, Conference USA champions, and a Fiesta Bowl appearance should help with recruiting. If Chadwell and CO. can bring in a Top 50 recruiting class to the ‘Burg, one can only imagine the heights this program can reach in the coming seasons.
  • A College Football Playoff Appearance
      • Starting next season, the playoff field will expand to a 12-team format, with the six highest-ranked conference champions getting an auto-bid and the next highest-ranked teams receiving an at-large bid. Had this format existed this year (it originally was set for this season), the Flames would have qualified and would be facing #5 seed Florida State. Replicating this year’s success won’t be easy, but if the two above items on our wishlist come true, this dream will become a realistic possibility for the Flames, starting in 2024. 
  • Home & Home with JMU
      • We’ve all seen the debates on social media over who has the better football team. I mean, only one program in VA is undefeated, a conference champion, and playing in a New Year’s Six bowl, but I digress. When it comes down to it, JMU vs Liberty has all the makings of the next greatest rivalry in college football. Two upstart programs who have accomplished great things as FBS newcomers, regional foes, crazy burner accounts on Twitter, and most importantly, two passionate fanbases that can’t stand each other. Culture-wise, JMU and Liberty are about as similar as Convocation and Sidewinders Saloon. However, both schools have great football and this rivalry would not only make for great TV, but would easily sell out each university’s respective stadium. 
  • Home Attendance Records for Liberty Athletics
    • Home court/field advantage is huge in college sports. Coaches say time and time again how big of a role the crowd can play in a victory. Not to mention that fan attendance can play a huge role in what bowl games Liberty is selected for, future conference realignment talks, and continuing to fund LU athletics and our top-notch facilities. We’d love to see a sea of red (get it?) filling the stands for all sports. With football coming off of a conference championship and Fiesta Bowl appearance, Men’s Basketball continuing to be one of the winningest programs in the nation, and Liberty having one of the greatest overall athletic programs in VA year-round, there isn’t a better time to be a Flames fan. Let’s fill those seats with Liberty red, white, and blue in 2024!

It’s the Season of Giving!

Christmas is the season of giving. God giving us his son Jesus Christ is the reason we celebrate this amazing holiday (Luke 2:11) and we all know that giving gifts are much more fun than receiving. This Christmas season, make sure you donate to the Flames Rising Collective! This will help provide financial resources for NIL opportunities to student-athletes, and this is accomplished through the support of businesses, boosters, donors, and fans like you. By pooling our resources, we can have a greater impact on the success of the lives of our incredible Flames athletes and maybe even make some of these Christmas wishlist dreams come true! You can donate HERE

Merry Christmas!!