The 2020-21 college basketball season has concluded with Baylor defeating Gonzaga in the national championship game on Monday night. Since the conclusion of the game, College Football News has released its football and basketball combined rankings.
All 130 Division I FBS teams are ranked based on which schools had the best combination of seasons in the two major revenue producing sports, football and men’s basketball. Liberty is ranked among the national powers at the top of the rankings, checking in at No. 4 and only trailing No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 3 Baylor. Oregon came in at No 5, just behind Liberty, while USC, Oklahoma, Clemson, Texas, and Florida rounded out the top 10.
Some other notable rankings include Notre Dame at No. 12, BYU at No. 18, Appalachian State at No. 21, Coastal Carolina at No. 22, Virginia at No. 28, Virginia Tech at No. 47, Syracuse at No. 49, and Old Dominion at No. 104.
This is Liberty’s highest ever ranking in the Hoops & Helmets ranking, as the Flames checked in at No. 82 in 2019, the first time Liberty was included in the ranking as an FBS member. Last year, Liberty was ranked No. 16 in the ranking.
Liberty had its best ever football season, finishing 10-1 in 2020 following a win over Coastal Carolina in the 2020 Cure Bowl as the Flames finished the year ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll. Meanwhile, on the hardwood, Liberty finished the year 23-6 overall and 11-2 in ASUN, winning the program’s third straight regular season and tournament title. The Flames advanced to the NCAA Tournament and was eliminated in the first round by Oklahoma State.
