Playing AD & Creating An FBS Schedule

Perhaps the most discussion and intrigue surrounding Liberty’s announced moved to the FBS as an Independent has surrounded scheduling. AD Ian McCaw and his staff certainly have their work cut out for them in trying to piece together a schedule that meets NCAA requirements (3 required home FBS games in ’18 and 5 thereafter) and gives the team an opportunity to see some success.

With the help of FBSchedules.com, I did just that. I found open dates for likely schedule candidates and put together a schedule for 2018 that gives the Flames the required minimum of 3 FBS home games with several return games promised for future schedules. I also did my best to find games where Liberty could be competitive. Of course, I didn’t have to worry about the finances of putting the schedule together, or bother with a team that simply says they don’t want to play the Flames.

This schedule would give Liberty the required 3 FBS home games by bringing in Coastal Carolina, UTEP, and Army. The UAB game would be a 2-for-1 deal with Liberty making the trip again in 2019 and UAB coming to Lynchburg in 2020. The Coastal game would be a home and home with the Flames making the trip to Coastal in 2019. UTEP would also be a 2-for-1 deal with Liberty making the trip in 2019 and 2020. The New Mexico State, Army, and UMass games would be the beginning of long-term contracts with teams alternating home and away each year.

With this schedule, the 2019 slate would already include home games against New Mexico State and UMass, and road games against UAB, Coastal, UTEP, and Army. 3 more home games would still be needed for 2019. So, if the Wake, FIU, and/or Duke games included a return trip to Williams Stadium in a 2-for-1 type deal that would be ideal. BYU is a likely opponent by 2019 as well, as they currently have 3 openings that season.