2021 was a year for the record books for may reasons, and for Liberty Athletics, despite the ongoing COVID pandemic, the Flames had another banner year. It was arguably the best calendar for the Flames, and we put together a list because everyone loves lists at New Year’s. This is our list of the top 21 moments in Liberty Athletics in 2021, not necessarily the BEST moments, but the biggest.

21. WOMEN’S SOCCER WINS ASUN

*photo courtesy Liberty Athletics

For the first time since joining the ASUN, Liberty’s women’s soccer team was crowned ASUN Champions following a thrilling, 1-0, win over Kennesaw State in overtime in the championship match.

20. LIBERTY GOLF MAKES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

*photo courtesy Liberty Athletics

Liberty golf advanced to the 2021 NCAA Men’s Golf National Championship this past summer, finishing in 21st place.

19. LIBERTY ADDS TRANSFER QB CHARLIE BREWER

(Photo by Boyd Ivey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Charlie Brewer transferred to Liberty from Utah following the conclusion of the 2021 season. He started 39 games for Baylor from 2017-2020, helping the Bears to the Big 12 championship game in 2019. He ranks second on Baylor’s career list for passing yards (9,700) and passing touchdowns (65). He then transferred to Utah prior to the 2021 season and won the starting job before being benched three games into the season, at which point he entered the portal.

18. FREEZE MAKES RETURN TO OLE MISS

It was one of the biggest stories in the country this past college football season as Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze made his return to Ole Miss. The Flames came up short against the top 15 SEC team in Oxford, Mississippi.

17. FOOTBALL’S HOME WIN STREAK COMES TO AN END

Liberty had won a program record 15 consecutive games, beginning in 2019. It was the fourth longest active FBS home win streak in the country at the time, but it would come to an end in November when the Flames fell to No. 21 Louisiana.

16. LIBERTY DEFEATS MISSOURI TO EXTEND HOME WIN STREAK

Liberty welcomed its first ever SEC opponent to Lynchburg as Missouri came to Liberty Arena. The Flames rolled all over the Tigers in front of a capacity crowd to keep its home win streak in tact, the second longest home win streak in the country.

15. LIBERTY ARENA OPENS WITH FULL CAPACITY

After opening brand new Liberty Arena for the 2020-21 season with limited capacity due to the COVID pandemic, Liberty was able to officially open the Arena this season with no capacity limitations.

14. FORMER UT QB KAIDON SALTER TRANSFERS TO LIBERTY

Salter is a former top 50 national prospect as the 6’1″, 190 pound quarterback was ranked as the No. 6 quarterback nationally and No. 5 prospect out of Texas, according to 247Sports, in the class of 2021. Salter, a four-star quarterback, enrolled at Tennessee this past spring semester after finishing his high school career at Cedar Hill High School in Cedar Hill, Texas.

13. DARIUS MCGHEE SCORES 41, NAMED DIAMOND HEAD CLASSIC MVP

Darius McGhee tied a Liberty Division I record with 41 points against Stanford in the second game of the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii. McGhee scored at least 20 points in all three games and was named the Diamond Head Classic MVP.

12. MEN’S BASKETBALL BEATS BELLARMINE TO CLINCH ASUN REGULAR SEASON TITLE

In the regular season finale, the men’s basketball team had to go on the road in hopes to secure a third straight ASUN regular season title. Behind a strong performance by Darius McGhee, the Flames defeated the Bellarmine Knights to secure a third straight regular season title and the first one outright. The win also helped propel the Flames to lock down the top individual ASUN postseason awards as McGhee was named Player of the Year, Elijah Cuffee Defensive Player of the Year, and Ritchie McKay Coach of the Year.

11. MALIK WILLIS WINS DUDLEY AWARD

One of the most prestigious awards a Liberty football player has ever won, following a record-breaking 2020 season, quarterback Malik Willis was named the Dudley Award winner, which is given annually to the best college football player in Virginia, becoming Liberty’s first-ever Dudley Award winner.

10. BASEBALL ADVANCES TO REGIONAL FINAL

Under head coach Scott Jackson, Liberty baseball continued its winning ways. The Flames defeated ACC Champion Duke twice in the regionals to advance to the Regional Final before falling to Tennessee.

9. SOFTBALL WINS ASUN, REACHES REGIONAL FINAL

Liberty softball had one of its best ever seasons by winning the ASUN and then advancing to the Regional Final before falling to eventual Women’s College World Series participant James Madison.

8. HUGH FREEZE RECEIVES CONTRACT EXTENSION

Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze received a contract extension earlier this season, which was announced late in the season. The new extension has his contract at Liberty through the 2028 season and reportedly brings his salary to approximately $4 million annually.

7. MALIK WILLIS MAKES NATIONAL HEADLINES

Liberty quarterback Malik Willis emerged onto the scene during the 2020 football season, but in 2021 his national appeal skyrocketed. It began early in the year as he emerged as a potential first round NFL Draft pick, and it picked up its pace in the spring when The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman jumped on the bandwagon with his endorsement.

6. JILL BOLTON NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

*Photo courtesy Liberty Athletics

Liberty senior Jill Bolton was selected as the 2021 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I National Player of the Year. She became the first player in program history to be named a National Player of the Year for any sport at the Division I level. A three-time All-American, Bolton led Liberty in goals and points during the 2021 fall season and was named to the All-Tournament team following Liberty’s run to a national runner-up finish. Bolton closed out her Liberty career as the program record holder in goals and points while also ranking third in career assists.

5. FIELD HOCKEY REACHES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

*Photo courtesy Liberty Athletics

Liberty’s field hockey team has quietly been building a national power. The Flames have been routinely ranked in the top 25 and spent much of the 2021 spring season ranked in the top 10. They couldn’t get over the hump and into the national tournament because of UConn standing in their way in the Big East. The Lady Flames would not only overcome UConn this fall, they would also make a startling run to the national championship game, becoming the first ever Liberty athletics team to reach a final four or further at the Division I level. They would knock off the No. 1 team in the country in Rutgers, a national power in Maryland, before falling to Northwestern in the championship tilt.

4. LIBERTY WINS 2021 LENDING TREE BOWL

The Flames might have limped into its third straight bowl appearance with three losses to end the regular season, but they erased those bad feelings with a dominate performance at the Lending Tree Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Malik Willis accounted for five touchdowns as the Flames rolled all over Eastern Michigan, 56-20.

3. MEN’S BASKETBALL WINS THIRD STRAIGHT ASUN TOURNEY

The ASUN Tournament got moved to Jacksonville, but it didn’t matter as the Flames won a third consecutive conference tournament championship. Head coach Ritchie McKay was able to push the right buttons and find the right pieces as the Flames replaced four seniors from the previous season. Liberty would advance to the NCAA Tournament as a 13-seed, falling to Oklahoma State and eventual No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cade Cunningham in Indianapolis.

2. FOOTBALL FINISHES 2020 SEASON RANKED NO. 17

Liberty’s 2020 football season was the best the program ever had, and that moment was etched into the history books back in January. Following the CFP Championship game, the final Associated Press Top 25 poll of the year was released, and the Flames found themselves ranked No. 17, the highest final ranking in program history and the only time Liberty has finished the year ranked in the top 25 at the FBS level.

1. LIBERTY JOINS CONFERENCE USA

The news has been a long time coming for the Liberty Flames as the institution has long searched for a conference home at the FBS level. In November, Liberty and the Conference USA officially announced that the two would become partners beginning in 2023.