Liberty’s game against James Madison, originally scheduled for Oct. 24, 2026 in Lynchburg, has been canceled, but that doesn’t mean the two nearby football programs won’t meet in the future. The two FBS teams have agreed to meet in a home-and-home series in 2033 and 2034, according to Damien Sordelett of the Lynchburg News and Advance.

The Flames are scheduled to host JMU on Sept. 17, 2033 and travel to Harrisonburg on Sept. 16, 2034. The Dukes are one of the newest members of the FBS as they have joined the Sun Belt after a long stay in the FCS.

Liberty and James Madison have met a number of times over the years with the Dukes maintaining a series advantage, 12-6. The last meeting came in 2014 when the Flames knocked off JMU in the first round of the FCS playoffs in Harrisonburg, 26-21. It was the first ever FCS Playoff win for Liberty.

The Flames made the move to the FBS as an Independent beginning with the 2019 season, competing outside of a conference the past few years. Liberty has seen tremendous success under head coach Hugh Freeze who has guided the program to three straight 8+ win seasons and three straight bowl wins. The Flames will be moving to Conference USA beginning with the 2023 season.