Where Liberty Football Lands in SP+ Post-Spring Rankings

Spring football concluded nearly three months ago for Liberty, and the Flames look forward to Year 3 of the Jamey Chadwell era.

ESPN’s Bill Connelly updated his SP+ team rankings recently. ESPN’s SP+ rankings are based on three factors: returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history. Here is his complete ranking here. The Flames’ preseason SP+ ranking is No. 69. This is down from last year’s preseason ranking of No. 38.

Here’s how the Conference USA teams rank in the preseason SP+ rankings:

69. Liberty
85. Western Kentucky
104. Jacksonville State
107. Sam Houston
109. Louisiana Tech
110. Delaware
122. New Mexico State
123. UTEP
125. Middle Tennessee
127. Missouri State
129. FIU
131. Kennesaw State

As far as the 2025 non-conference schedule goes, here’s how Liberty’s opponents look:

49. James Madison
103. Old Dominion
111. Bowling Green
N/A Maine

That’s an average of 87.6 for the Flames’ FBS non-conference opponents which is very close to last year’s average preseason non-conference SP+ ranking of 88.

The top 10 G5 teams in this preseason ranking:

33. Boise State
48. Tulane
49. James Madison
53. Memphis
63. UTSA
67. Army
68. Navy
69. Liberty
72. Toledo
74. Louisiana

And a look at where the FBS programs in Virginia rank:

46. Virginia Tech
49. James Madison
69. Liberty
79. Virginia
103. Old Dominion

The Flames jumped from 121st to 75th in SP+ postseason rankings from 2018 to 2020. Following the 2021 season, Liberty finished ranked No. 49. At the end of the 2022 campaign, the Flames were ranked No. 73. At the end of the 2023 season, Liberty saw its postseason all-time high finish in the SP+ rankings of No. 33.

The Flames finished the 2023 campaign with a 13-1 record that included a CUSA Championship in the program’s first season in its FBS league home and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl as the highest ranked Group of Five Conference champion. It was a fifth straight bowl game appearance, where the Flames lost to No. 8 Oregon.

Following an 8-4 season last year, Liberty has now won eight or more games for the 16th season in program history, including all six years as a full FBS member.

Liberty will open the 2025 season at home against Maine on Aug. 30 with the CUSA opener the following week against the defending champs, Sept. 6, at Jacksonville State.