Conference USA released its 2024 conference schedule on Thursday, and, with it, Liberty’s complete 2024 schedule was also released.
With the addition of Kennesaw State to league beginning with the 2024 season, CUSA now has 10 members. The league will continue to play eight conference games each season, meaning everyone in the conference will miss one conference member during the regular season schedule. The Flames are not scheduled to play Louisiana Tech this coming fall.
Coming off a 13-1 season under first year head coach Jamey Chadwell, the Flames were the 2023 CUSA Champions in the program’s first year in the FBS league. Liberty completed the regular season at a perfect 13-0 and received a bid to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl where the Flames fell to Oregon. Following the conclusion of the season, Liberty was ranked No. 25 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll, just the second time in school history the team has finished the year ranked in an FBS Top 25 poll.
In 2024, the College Football Playoff expands to 12 spots and the highest ranked Group of Five conference champion is expected to get an automatic bid into the CFP, much in the way Liberty got into a New Year’s Six Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, in 2023 as the highest ranked G5 conference champion.
Liberty will open the season at home on August 31 against Campbell. The Flames played the FCS Camels to open the 2021 season, picking up a 48-7 win.
In week two, Liberty heads on the road to open Conference USA play, playing at New Mexico State on Saturday, Sept. 7. It will be an early season rematch of the 2023 CUSA Championship Game where the Flames outlasted the Aggies, 49-35. NMSU will have a new look team as head coach Jerry Kill has been replaced by Tony Sanchez and QB Diego Pavia has transferred.
The Flames will then return home, playing CUSA member UTEP at Williams Stadium for the first time ever on Saturday, Sept. 14. This will be a rematch of last year’s regular season finale when Liberty clinched an unbeaten 12-0 record thanks to a 42-28 win at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Liberty will then step out of conference play for the final two games of September, hosting East Carolina on Sept. 21 and playing at Appalachian State on Sept. 28. The Flames and Pirates have surprisingly never met on the gridiron, as they begin a home and home series. The AAC member ECU had a disappointing 2023 season, finishing at 2-10 overall. The Flames and Mountaineers last played Oct. 11, 2014 with Liberty prevailing in a 55-48 win. Appalachian State had a bit of an up and down 2023 campaign as they finished at 9-5 and won the Cure Bowl thanks to a win over Miami Ohio.
The CUSA schedule will then transition to its midweek games for the month of October with Liberty only playing three in the midweek in 2024. With over a week off, the Flames are scheduled to play host to FIU on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Following that game, Liberty will have an open date before traveling to play at CUSA newcomer Kennesaw State on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The Flames will then return back to Lynchburg to host Jacksonville State on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
As the league then transitions back to Saturday dates for the month of November to conclude the regular season, Liberty will once again have longer than a week to prepare for its next opponent as the Flames play at Middle Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 9.
Liberty will play its final non-conference game of the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 16 when the Flames play at UMass.
After that short respite from conference play, Liberty will return home for its regular season home finale on Saturday, Nov. 23 against Western Kentucky. The 2024 regular season finale is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 30 at Sam Houston.
The Conference USA championship game will be contested at the home site of the No. 1 seed in the league on Friday, Dec. 6 and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Nerwork..
All dates are subject to change, especially the midweek dates in order to accommodate television selections. Liberty’s three games currently scheduled to be played on Wednesday in October could easily transition to either Tuesday or Thursday of that week.
2024 Liberty Football Schedule
Sat., Aug. 31 vs Campbell
Sat., Sep. 07 at New Mexico State*
Sat., Sep. 14 vs UTEP*
Sat., Sep. 21 vs East Carolina
Sat., Sep. 28 at Appalachian State
Wed., Oct. 09 vs FIU*
Wed., Oct. 23 at Kennesaw State*
Wed., Oct. 30 vs Jacksonville State*
Sat., Nov. 09 at Middle Tennessee*
Sat., Nov. 16 at UMass
Sat., Nov. 23 vs Western Kentucky*
Sat., Nov. 30 at Sam Houston*
*CUSA game
