The 2024 Liberty football season isn’t even over as the Flames are preparing to take on Buffalo in the Bahamas Bowl on January 4, but that doesn’t keep us from taking a quick glance ahead to what lies around the bend for the Flames in 2025.
Liberty’s non-conference schedule for 2025 is set. The Flames will open the year at home on August 30 against FCS Maine. After a one-week hiatus, likely for the CUSA opener, Liberty will then play three straight non-conference games to conclude the month of September. The Flames will play at Bowling Green on September 13, then host James Madison on September 20, and play at Old Dominion on September 27.
We don’t currently know what Liberty’s CUSA schedule looks like for next season. It was announced February 1 last year, but the Flames will play some combination of 8 games in conference play. The league expands to 12 members with Missouri State and Delaware moving up from the FCS ranks. We don’t have official word from the conference yet if there will be divisions for football play or not. What we do know, is the Flames will play 8 games against the 11 other CUSA members, meaning there will be 3 CUSA teams Liberty doesn’t play in 2025.
Here’s a quick look at the non-conference slate for 2025:
08/30 vs Maine
The Flames will take on Maine to open the 2025 campaign. The Black Bears finished 2024 with a 5-7 overall record and 3-5 mark in CAA play. They lost to Oklahoma, 59-14, in their only game against an FBS team and also lost to future CUSA member Delaware, 44-21.
09/13 @ Bowling Green
Liberty heads to Ohio in mid-September to conclude the home and home series with Bowling Green. Liberty defeated the Falcons, 34-24, on September 2, 2023, to open the Jamey Chadwell era. This past season, Bowling Green went 7-5 and 6-2 in the MAC, finishing tied for 3rd place in the league with Liberty’s bowl opponent, Buffalo. The Falcons are heading to their third straight bowl game under head coach Scot Loeffler where they will play Arkansas State in the 68 Ventures Bowl.
09/20 vs James Madison
Liberty and JMU will renew their rivalry for the first time at the FBS level in September at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg. The Flames and Dukes last met in the first round of the 2014 FCS Playoffs, with Liberty pulling the 26-21 upset. JMU owns the all-time series 12-6 though, with many of those contests coming with the two were FCS members. JMU went 8-4 this past season and 4-4 in the Sun Belt as they prepare to take on Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl.
09/27 @ Old Dominion
After a brief one-year hiatus, Liberty and Old Dominion will meet on the gridiron once again. The Flames and Monarchs have played four times previously since Liberty made the move to the FBS in 2018. The Flames have won each of those four meetings, including a 38-10 decision in November 2023. ODU went 5-7 this season and 4-4 in the Sun Belt.
