The Liberty Flames are going bowling for the first time in school history, and it’s important the Liberty fan base makes a strong first impression on bowl reps.
“All the bowl games watch how teams travel very closely,” Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw said shortly after the Flames officially announced the Cure Bowl invite. “Future possibilities for us are going to ask the Cure Bowl how many tickets we sold, how well our fans travelled, and what kind of support we had.”
Cure Bowl Executive Director Alan Gooch has high expectations for the Liberty contingent to travel well since it’s the program’s first ever bowl game.
“We’re very excited about Liberty University,” Gooch said this week. “This is their first time being bowl eligible. We all know in the bowl business it’s always great when you have an opportunity to get a team the first time they’re bowl eligible. We believe that they’re going to travel well in numbers.”
This bowl game is an opportunity not only for the Liberty football team to make a statement, but also the Liberty fan base can make a statement with a huge turnout. It will have an impact on future bowl possibilities, especially with the Flames as an FBS Independent. There will be times that Liberty is fighting for a better bowl spot or even a bowl slot, and if the Flames can develop a tradition of travelling well, that will give LU a much better chance at making a legitimate argument for the spot.
“Students, fans, let’s go to Orlando for a pre-Christmas trip,” said Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze. “That can be your Christmas present to your loved ones. Come support these young men, our team, and our staff as we go represent Liberty University in Orlando at the Cure Bowl. I hope our people will come.”
The Liberty University administration is doing what it can by offering bus trips for students to travel to the game. It’s also a great destination in Orlando, Florida with warm weather and amusement parks for all to enjoy.
“This is a really important moment for Flames nation to rally around this football program because a lot of future decisions are going to hinge upon how well we travel to Orlando,” McCaw stated. “We’re fortunate it’s a great destination. It’s a place where a lot of Liberty alumni and online students reside. We’re hopeful to have a great turnout. We’re going to do everything we can to make this a great showing for Flames nation. It really is an important moment for people to evaluate our fan base.”
