For Liberty, Friday night’s trip to Delaware represents more than the beginning of conference play. It represents the beginning of a new season.
The Flames enter the matchup with a 3-1 record after opening the year with four non-conference games, including last Thursday’s 34-17 victory at Coastal Carolina. Delaware enters at 2-2 and will be playing its first Conference USA game of the season as well.
But once Liberty arrives at Delaware Stadium, the first four games of the season become secondary. The goal is clear: compete for a Conference USA championship.
Liberty’s 2026 schedule was built with that opportunity in mind. The Flames are attempting to capture their second CUSA championship, with the conference title game scheduled for Dec. 4. And while Liberty enters conference play with a 3-1 record, none of those results will count toward the conference standings. Everyone starts 0-0.
“New season. Conference is what matters moving forward. Everyone is 0-0. We’ve got to raise our game up,” Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell said.
That mentality is going to be important for the Flames, particularly with Delaware presenting a difficult road challenge to open league play.
Every Game Takes on More Meaning
The margin for error changes once conference play begins.
Liberty can no longer afford to look at one opponent as more important than another. With a 10-team CUSA playing without divisions, every conference game directly impacts the race for the top two spots and a berth in the championship game. And Chadwell wants his team to approach every remaining game with the same urgency.
“Every game is a rival going forward. You have to have the same intensity and mentality as we prepared last week.”
That message is especially important after Liberty’s first four games produced a little bit of everything. The Flames lost their season opener at James Madison, survived Gardner-Webb the following week, dominated Ball State and then closed non-conference play with an impressive road victory over Coastal Carolina.
Now the record resets. The 3-1 mark provides momentum, but it doesn’t provide Liberty with any advantage in the conference standings.
Delaware Won’t Make It Easy
Delaware enters Friday night coming off a 42-3 loss at Virginia, but the Blue Hens have already shown what they can do at home. Delaware is 2-0 at Delaware Stadium this season, defeating Merrimack 42-7 and Coastal Carolina 22-14. The Blue Hens also finished 4-4 in conference play during their first CUSA season in 2025.
That makes Friday’s matchup particularly important for Liberty. The Flames aren’t simply opening conference play. They’re doing so on the road against a team that has already proven it can be difficult to beat at home. And Chadwell isn’t expecting Delaware to simply go away if Liberty gets off to a good start.
“You’re going to have to beat them to win the game. They’re going to keep coming. It’s going to be a big battle for us.”
That mentality fits what Liberty should expect throughout conference play. There won’t be any easy games. There won’t be many opportunities to overlook an opponent. And there won’t be much room for mistakes if the Flames want to put themselves in position to play for a championship in December.
The Road to a Championship Starts Now
Liberty’s remaining conference schedule includes home games against Sam Houston, FIU, Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky, along with road trips to Delaware, Kennesaw State, New Mexico State and Missouri State.
The defending conference champion Kennesaw State awaits later in October, while Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee headline a November stretch that could have major implications in the conference race.
But none of those games matter until Liberty handles what’s in front of it. And what’s in front of the Flames is Delaware.
“We will have to play our best game to go up there and hopefully slow them down a bit,” Chadwell said.
That’s the challenge facing Liberty on Friday night.
The non-conference portion of the schedule is over. The record has been wiped clean. The mistakes, struggles and successes from the first four weeks can provide lessons, but they don’t count in the standings. This is the part of the season that matters most. Liberty has made no secret of its goal of competing for championships under Chadwell. Now, beginning Friday night in Delaware, the Flames get their opportunity to start chasing one.
A new season starts at 7 p.m. Friday night. And for Liberty, the road to a Conference USA championship starts in Newark.
