Liberty Flames
Conference USALynchburg, VAWilliams Stadium (VA)
2026: 5–1 (2–0 Conference USA). Last: beat Sam Houston 35–3 at home. Next: at Kennesaw State, Thursday, Oct 22, 7 p.m. ET.
- L 13–20at James Madison
- W 24–23Gardner-Webb
- W 51–15Ball State
- W 34–17at Coastal Carolina
- W 30–14at Delaware
- W 35–3Sam Houston
- Oct 22at Kennesaw State
- Oct 31Florida International
- Nov 7at New Mexico State
- Nov 14Middle Tennessee
- Nov 21Western Kentucky
- Nov 28at Missouri State
Liberty has played football since 1973 and is officially 314–266–4; 274 of its 584 games are in our file. Their best finish in the final AP poll is No. 17, in 2020. They have won eight Big South Conference titles (the last in 2016) and one Conference USA title, counting shared titles. Hugh Freeze (2019–2022) won more games here than any other coach: 34. This season, under Jamey Chadwell, they’re 5–1.
- Cooper’s takeLets talk JMU
Résumé
- All-time record
- 314–266–4 official; 161–113 on file; how we count
- Postseason
- 3–3 matches the official bowl record
- AP No. 1 finishes
- 0
- Weeks at No. 1
- 0 of 13 ranked
- Elo now
- 1544 58th of 138 FBS
- Computer rankings
- Massey No. 80 · Composite No. 54 in FBS, Oct 17; down 1 since Oct 11. From Massey Ratings
- Conference titles
- 9 last in 2023
- Seasons
- 32 since 1981, 274 games
Identity
- Fight song
- Fan the Flames!
- Mascot
- Sparky
- Student section
- LUnatics
- Apparel
- Nike
- Band
- The Spirit of the Mountain since 1977, 250 members
2026 season 5–1
RosterFull 2026 season| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5 | at James Madison | L 13–20 | 18% |
| Sep 12 | vs Gardner-Webb | W 24–23 | 78% |
| Sep 19 | vs Ball State | W 51–15 | 65% |
| Sep 24 | at Coastal Carolina | W 34–17 | 48% |
| Oct 2 | at Delaware | W 30–14 | 49% |
| Oct 8 | vs Sam Houston | W 35–3 | 78% |
| Oct 22 | at Kennesaw State | Preview | 61% |
| Oct 31 | vs Florida International | Preview | 68% |
| Nov 7 | at New Mexico State | Preview | 67% |
| Nov 14 | vs Middle Tennessee | Preview | 79% |
| Nov 21 | vs Western Kentucky | Preview | 67% |
| Nov 28 | at Missouri State | Preview | 63% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
This season, game by game
Future schedule
2027–34- 20274 games: 3 home, 1 away, non-conference only
- 20284 games: 2 home, 2 away, non-conference only
- 20292 games: 1 home, 1 away, non-conference only
- 20302 games: 1 home, 1 away, non-conference only
- 20314 games: 2 home, 2 away, non-conference only
- 20322 games: 1 home, 1 away, non-conference only
- 20331 game: 1 home, non-conference only
- 20341 game: 1 home, non-conference only
Liberty’s announced games beyond the seasons on our schedule, the next 8 seasons (4 more listed), as its Wikipedia article lists them (announced schedules as of June 24, 2026). Schedules change; a season shows only the games named so far, and many articles list non-conference games only. Future schedules: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
On the 2026 team
- Deshawn Purdie1,050 passing yards, 8 TD (leads Liberty in passing yards)
- Kam Davis524 rushing yards, 4 TD (leads Liberty in rushing yards)
- Makai Jackson22 catches, 515 yards, 5 TD (leads Liberty in receiving yards)
- Jaylon Coleman238 rushing yards, 1 TD
- Peyton Jones259 rushing yards, 1 TD
- Aidan Vaughan33 tackles (leads Liberty in tackles)
Around the program
- Mascot
- Sparky · Official source
- Liberty News; read 2026-10-10
- Liberty University; read 2026-10-10
- Wikipedia; read 2026-10-10
- Student section
- LUnatics · Sources disagree 2 sources give LUnatics; others give Oasis Student Section (1 source). Chosen by count of sources, then the newest, for this season; needs a reviewer.
- Liberty Champion; read 2026-10-10
- Liberty University Flames Club; read 2026-10-10
- Athletic director
- Ian McCaw · Official source
- Liberty University; read 2026-10-10
- Offensive coordinator
- Newland Isaac · Official source
- Liberty University; read 2026-10-10
- Defensive coordinator
- Shawn Quinn · Official source
- Liberty University; read 2026-10-10
Found by several AI researchers searching the web, then kept only where the page loads and says so in words naming the program; every quote is checked again each time the data is rebuilt. Official source: the school’s own page. All of them.
The apparel deal
Nike. Contract extension signed in 2017. A 2017 extension ran through 2024. The current term hasn't been confirmed here.
- Liberty Athletics, Jul 19, 2017: Nike extended its contract with Liberty through 2024
Apparel deals: Field Drip. Terms as the outlets reported them; checked Oct 3, 2026. Our own research hasn’t confirmed the outfitter yet.
Program strength since 1981
Best seasons everMore coverage
- Braylon Miller flips commitment from Liberty to Georgia, sicemdawgs.com,
- Wood crushes Liberty to move to 7-1, winchesterstar.com,
- Woodlawn wins for homecoming, beating Liberty 46-14, wbrz.com,
- Liberty TV ranks as Nigeria’s No. 1 Free-to-Air channel â€" MPS - Blueprint Newspapers Limited, blueprint.ng,
- Liberty TV ranks as Nigeria’s No. 1 Free-to-Air channel â€" MPS, ghanamma.com,
- Oscar Smith alum runs for two TDs as Liberty extends winning streak to five, dailypress.com,
Found through the GDELT Project, which indexes news sites worldwide. Each link opens the story on the outlet’s own site; each picture is that outlet’s own preview of its story, shown from its site and credited to it.
Podcasts
- Liberty Football Update (DC Shawn Quinn), Liberty Flames Podcast, , 13 min
- Liberty Football Show (Oct. 6, 2026), Liberty Flames Podcast, , 1 hr 15 min
Found through Podcast Index, the open podcast directory. Each link opens the episode’s page.
Head coaches
| Coach | Years | Record |
|---|---|---|
 Jamey Chadwell | 2023–2026 | 30–14 |
| Josh Aldridge | 2022 | 0–1 |
 Hugh Freeze | 2019–2022 | 34–15 |
 Turner Gill | 2018 | 6–6 |
Most-played series
All rivalries- Gardner-Webb
11–4 in 15
- 2008 W 30–10
- 2010 W 40–14
- 2011 W 35–3
- 2013 W 24–0
- 2014 W 34–0
- 2015 L 20–34
- 2016 W 23–20
- 2017 W 33–17
- 2022 W 21–20
- 2026 W 24–23
Won the last four.
- Coastal Carolina
8–6 in 14
- 2007 W 37–24
- 2008 W 43–38
- 2009 W 58–13
- 2010 L 31–45
- 2013 L 52–55
- 2014 W 15–14
- 2015 W 24–21
- 2016 L 7–42
- 2020 W 37–34
- 2026 W 34–17
Won the last two.
- Charleston Southern
9–5 in 14
- 2007 W 50–10
- 2008 W 42–0
- 2009 W 20–13
- 2010 W 44–20
- 2011 W 38–16
- 2013 W 56–14
- 2014 L 36–38
- 2015 L 24–31
- 2016 L 26–48
- 2017 L 19–20
Lost the last four.
| Opponent | Games | LIB record |
|---|---|---|
| Gardner-Webb | 15 | 11–4 |
| Coastal Carolina | 14 | 8–6 |
| Charleston Southern | 14 | 9–5 |
| Presbyterian | 10 | 9–1 |
| VMI | 10 | 9–1 |
| New Mexico State | 9 | 7–2 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | 6–1 |
| James Madison | 7 | 1–6 |
Rivals the program names: James Madison, Coastal Carolina, Old Dominion.
Every opponent (99)
Every program Liberty has played, A to Z, with Liberty’s record against it. Each links to the series, game by game.
- Akron 1–1
- App State 1–0
- Arkansas 1–0
- Army 0–2
- Auburn 0–1
- Ball State 2–0
- Baylor 1–0
- Bowling Green 1–2
- Brevard 2–0
- Bryant 1–0
- Buffalo 2–1
- BYU 1–1
- Campbell 2–0
- Charleston Southern 9–5
- Chattanooga 1–1
- Coastal Carolina 8–6
- Concord 1–0
- Delaware 2–0
- Delaware State 1–0
- Duquesne 1–0
- East Carolina 1–0
- East Tennessee State 0–1
- Eastern Michigan 2–0
- Elon 2–1
- Florida International 3–1
- Furman 0–1
- Gardner-Webb 11–4
- Georgia Southern 1–0
- Georgia State 1–0
- Glenville State 2–0
- Hampton 1–0
- Hofstra 1–0
- Idaho State 1–0
- Indiana State 1–1
- Jacksonville 1–0
- Jacksonville State 1–4
- James Madison 1–6
- Kennesaw State 2–3
- Kent State 0–2
- Kentucky Wesleyan 3–0
- Lafayette 1–1
- Lehigh 0–3
- Louisiana 0–2
- Louisiana Tech 1–1
- Maine 2–0
- Marshall 0–1
- Massachusetts 6–1
- Middle Tennessee 3–0
- Missouri State 0–1
- Monmouth 3–2
- Montana 1–0
- Morehead State 1–0
- Morgan State 1–0
- NC State 0–2
- New Mexico 2–0
- New Mexico State 7–2
- Norfolk State 3–2
- North Alabama 1–0
- North Carolina 0–1
- North Carolina Central 1–0
- North Texas 1–1
- Northern Illinois 0–1
- Old Dominion 4–2
- Ole Miss 0–1
- Oregon 0–1
- Presbyterian 9–1
- Richmond 0–2
- Robert Morris 2–1
- Rutgers 0–1
- Saint Francis 2–1
- Sam Houston 2–1
- Savannah State 2–0
- SMU 0–1
- South Florida 0–2
- Southern Illinois 0–1
- Southern Miss 2–0
- St. Paul’s College 1–0
- Stony Brook 2–2
- Syracuse 1–2
- Toledo 0–4
- Towson 0–2
- Troy 2–0
- UAB 2–0
- UCF 0–2
- UConn 0–2
- UL Monroe 1–1
- UTEP 3–0
- Villanova 0–1
- Virginia 0–2
- Virginia Tech 1–2
- VMI 9–1
- Wake Forest 0–3
- West Virginia 0–2
- West Virginia Wesleyan 1–0
- Western Carolina 3–0
- Western Kentucky 3–0
- William & Mary 0–4
- WVU Tech 1–0
- Youngstown State 1–3
Conference titles
9, counting shared titles- Conference USA 1
- 2023
As the program counts them in its Wikipedia article, shared titles included, and listed under each conference’s current name (a Western Conference title of the 1900s counts as a Big Ten title); season pages use the name the conference had that year. A title the article files under a conference the team wasn’t in that season is listed under the one it was. Division titles include years the team tied for its division.
Conferences
- Independent 1984–2001
- Big South 2002–2017
- Independent 2018–2022
- Conference USA since 2023
- 2018Went independent from the Big South in football, announced February 16, 2017. Source
- 2023Joined Conference USA from independence in football, announced November 5, 2021. Source
Liberty’s football conferences by season, from CollegeFootballData.com’s memberships (renamed conferences keep the name of the time). The moves and their announcement dates from Wikipedia’s lists of NCAA Division I conference changes; the year is the first season in the new conference. Conference realignment: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
In the NFL Draft
By college- Drafted, rounds 1–7
- 7 since 1986
- First-round picks
- 1
| 1990 | Eric Green TE | No. 21, Pittsburgh Steelers |
Who came and went in the 2026 transfer portal, and every portal year.
The school
Liberty University- Enrollment
- 104,327 52,961 undergraduates, fall 2024
- Where
- Lynchburg, Virginia
- Public or private
- Private nonprofit
- Founded
- 1971
- Graduates’ median earnings
- $44,813 10 years after starting
Enrollment, place and Carnegie research tier from the National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS, public domain). Earnings from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard (CC BY 4.0): the median for students who received federal aid and were working, not in school. Founding year from Wikidata. Every school’s in the data.
Official accounts
- Football
- X @libertyfootballInstagram @libertyfootballFacebook libertyflamesfootball
- Athletics department
- Instagram @libertyfootballFacebook LibertyFlamesAthletics
Official accounts: the schools’ athletics websites: the ones libertyflames.com lists for its football program and athletics department, as of Oct 12, 2026.
Season by season
National champions| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5–1 | 2–0 | Jamey Chadwell | 1544 | 7.3 | ||
| 2025 | 4–8 | 3–5 | Jamey Chadwell | 1426 | -9.0 | ||
| 2024 | 8–4 | 5–3 | Jamey Chadwell | 1570 | 0.2 | ||
| 2023 | 13–1 | 8–0 | 25 | Jamey Chadwell | 1670 | 8.0 | |
| 2022 | 8–5 | Hugh Freeze, Josh Aldridge | 1524 | -1.5 | |||
| 2021 | 8–5 | Hugh Freeze | 1571 | 8.4 | |||
| 2020 | 10–1 | 17 | Hugh Freeze | 1618 | 6.5 | ||
| 2019 | 8–5 | Hugh Freeze | 1482 | -2.6 | |||
| 2018 | 6–6 | Turner Gill | 1393 | -19.7 | |||
| 2017 | 6–5 | 2–3 | 1351 | ||||
| 2016 | 6–5 | 4–1 | 1364 | ||||
| 2015 | 6–5 | 3–3 | 1372 | ||||
| 2014 | 9–5 | 4–1 | 1442 | ||||
| 2013 | 8–4 | 4–1 | 1427 | ||||
| 2012 | 0–3 | 1334 | |||||
| 2011 | 6–4 | 4–1 | 1410 | ||||
| 2010 | 8–3 | 5–1 | 1436 | ||||
| 2009 | 7–3 | 4–1 | 1440 | ||||
| 2008 | 9–2 | 5–1 | 1445 | ||||
| 2007 | 6–3 | 4–0 | 1399 | ||||
| 2006 | 6–5 | 2–2 | 1287 | ||||
| 2005 | 1–10 | 0–4 | 1122 | ||||
| 2004 | 6–5 | 3–1 | 1286 | ||||
| 2003 | 6–6 | 3–1 | 1261 | ||||
| 2002 | 0–2 | 1229 |
Every season back to 1981 (7 more)
Officially 314–266–4 since 1973 (per Wikipedia, as of 9/24/26); game by game here, 161–113 (274 of its 584 games are on file). Our file starts in 1981; the program began in 1973. Some games are missing from our source.
No season on file for 1982–88, 1990–91, 1993, 1995–98: the program may not have played, or our source may be missing them.
Records are computed from every game on file at CollegeFootballData.com, whose coverage of the earliest seasons can be incomplete. Elo is this site’s own rating; see how it works on the records page.