The 2025-26 athletic season for the Liberty Flames’ teams has come to an end while a few track and field athletes will compete this week at the national championships in Oregon individually. It was an up and down season for the Flames, with some remarkable moments and some let downs. With the athletic season coming to end this week, we have put together a ranking of the team’s with the best season on campus.
There’s no perfect way to determine who had the best season, but the primary factors used were winning a conference championship, national ranking or finish, and notable wins. This is not a ranking of the best program over a period of years, but instead of ranking of who had the best individual season during 2024-25.
1. Field Hockey
Liberty field hockey got back to its dominant ways, posting a 17-3 overall record and perfect 7-0 mark in Big East play. The Flames defeated UConn, 2-1, in overtime to secure the 2025 Big East Field Hockey Championship, the third such title for Liberty in program history. The team’s run came to an end in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship with a 3-2 loss to No. 10 Syracuse in a shootout. Liberty’s three losses on the season all came to top 10 foes.
2. Women’s Soccer
The Lady Flames finished the year at 14-4-4 overall and 6-0-2 in conference play, tying with Western Kentucky for the regular season title. Liberty went on to win the CUSA Tournament it hosted at Osborne Stadium. Led by CUSA Player of the Year Ivy Garner and CUSA Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Littleton, the Lady Flames advanced to the 2025 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship, losing to No. 8 seed Clemson, 2-1.
3. Golf
Liberty golf won the CUSA Championship for the second time in three years and ninth conference championship title at the DI level in program history. The men would go on to tie for 5th at the NCAA Corvallis Regional, losing in a playoff against San Diego to come up just short of reaching the NCAA National Championship as a team. Michael Lugiano won the individual title at the Corvallis Regional, the first CUSA golfer to capture an individual medal at an NCAA Regional since 2013. Lugiano tied for 47th place at the national championship in Carlsbad, California.
4. Baseball
Under second year head coach Bradley LeCroy, the Flames had one of the best seasons in program history. Liberty tied a program record with 43 wins, posting a 43-21 mark. The Flames went 21-9 in conference play, finishing in second place in the regular season and also finishing as the runner-up in the CUSA Tournament. Liberty was one of three teams from CUSA to reach postseason, receiving an at-large bid into the Athens Regional. The Flames would defeat Boston College twice during the regional to advance to the regional final for just the third time in program history. Liberty lost to the No. 3 national seed twice, 6-2 and 6-1.
5. Women’s Cross Country
The women’s cross country team won the CUSA championship for a second straight season behind Allie Zealand her won the individual 6K title. The women would go on to finish 10th at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships while Zealand raced her won to Nationals, with a 21st overall finish.
6. Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
The Liberty’s men’s track & field team swept the indoor and outdoor CUSA titles this season. This came one year after a streak of 27 straight indoor track & field championships was snapped.
7. Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field
The women’s track & field team finished second in indoor, 14 points behind Kennesaw State. In the spring, the women reclaimed its CUSA outdoor track & field title for a third straight season.
8. Women’s Tennis
The women’s tennis team posted a 16-10 overall record and won the program’s first ever conference championship by defeating Delaware in the championship match. The Lady Flames advanced to the 2026 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship for the first time in program history, losing to Washington, 4-0.
9. Men’s Basketball
Under head coach Ritchie McKay, the Flames were 26-8 overall and won the CUSA regular season title with a 17-13 mark in league play. Liberty won 17 straight games during the middle of the year, opening CUSA play at 15-0. Liberty did struggle late, losing three of the team’s final five games in the regular season before being upset by No. 9 seed Missouri State in the quarterfinals of the CUSA Tournament. The men did advance to the program’s second ever NIT appearance, knocking off George Mason before losing to Nevada to conclude the season.
10. Men’s Tennis
Liberty’s men’s tennis team finished the season at 14-10. They were the No. 2 seed in the CUSA championship, advancing to the title match before falling, 4-2, to No. 1 seed Middle Tennessee. The Flames finish as CUSA runners-up for the third consecutive season.
11. Swimming & Diving
The Liberty swimming & diving team had won seven straight conference titles heading into its first American Conference Championship appearance. The Flames finished second, just behind Rice.
12. Men’s Cross Country
The men’s cross country team finished in second place at the CUSA Championship, finishing 18 points behind Middle Tennessee. The men would finish 13th at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championship.
13. Softball
Liberty’s softball team had a bit of a disappointing season in 2026, failing to win a conference championship for the first time since joining Conference USA. The Lady Flames also failed to reach an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2019 and just second time since 2017. Liberty finished the season at 29-28, third in the CUSA regular season, and made it to the CUSA Championship game before falling to Jacksonville State.
14. Women’s Basketball
Under first year head coach Alexis Sherard, the Lady Flames had a very young team that showed significant improvement throughout the season. Liberty finished the year at 18-13 overall and 11-7 in conference play. The Flames tied for third in the CUSA regular season and lost to No. 1 seed Louisiana Tech in the CUSA Tournament semifinals.
15. Volleyball
Under first year head coach Jeremy White, the Liberty volleyball team began to show some improvement. The Lady Flames finished the year with a 20-10 record, finishing in 5th place in CUSA with an 8-8 record before falling in the CUSA Tournament quarterfinals. The Flames picked up notable wins in the non-conference over Rutgers and Houston.
16. Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team finished the season with a 9-5-6 overall record and 4-2-4 mark in OVC play, finishing in third place in the conference regular season standings. The Flames would fall to No. 2 seed Houston Christian in the OVC Tournament semifinals.
17. Lacrosse
Liberty’s women’s lacrosse team finished the year at 8-11 and the No. 3 seed in the ASUN with a 5-3 record. The Lady Flames fell to No. 2 seed Jacksonville in the semifinal.
18. Football
The Flames struggled on the gridiron in 2025, finishing at 4-8. It marked the end of 20 straight 6+ win seasons and the first year Liberty finished with a losing record since 2005. The Flames failed to reach a bowl game for the first time since joining the FBS level in 2019. The Flames were 3-5 in conference play, finishing in 8th place.
