Liberty Flames and Lady Flames

Liberty Flames and Lady Flames
Logo
UniversityLiberty University
ConferenceConference USA (primary)
Big East (field hockey)
ASUN (women's lacrosse, women's swimming & diving)
OVC (men's soccer)
NCAADivision I (FBS) (FBS)
PresidentDondi Costin
Athletic directorIan McCaw
LocationLynchburg, Virginia
Varsity teams20 (9 men's, 11 women's)
Football stadiumWilliams Stadium
Basketball arenaLiberty Arena (primary)
Vines Center
Ice hockey arenaLaHaye Ice Center
Baseball stadiumLiberty Baseball Stadium
Softball stadiumKamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium
Soccer stadiumOsborne Stadium
NatatoriumLiberty University Natatorium
Tennis venueLiberty Tennis Complex
Indoor track and field venueLiberty Indoor Track Complex
Other venuesLaHaye Ice Center
MascotSparky
NicknameFlames (men)
Lady Flames (women)
Marching bandSpirit of the Mountain
Fight songFan the Flames!
ColorsRed, white, and blue[1]
     
Websitelibertyflames.com
Conference USA logo in Liberty's colors

The Liberty Flames and Lady Flames are the athletics teams of Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. They are a member of the NCAA Division I level in 20 sports. As of July 1, 2023, LU is a member of Conference USA (CUSA) for most sports, joining that league after five years as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN).

The field hockey team was a member of the Northern Pacific Field Hockey Conference before that league's demise after the 2014 season. After playing the 2015 season as an independent, the team joined the Big East Conference in 2016.[2] Women's lacrosse remains in the ASUN,[3] and women's swimming & diving joined the ASUN when it effectively absorbed the swimming & diving side of the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association after the 2022–23 season.[4] Men's soccer competes in the Ohio Valley Conference.[5] In football, Liberty had participated in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as an independent before joining CUSA.[6]

Liberty University is the second youngest school in NCAA Division I, founded in 1971 (the youngest, Florida Gulf Coast University, was founded in 1991 with instruction starting in 1997).[n 1] As a member of the Big South Conference, Liberty regularly competed for the Sasser Cup, which is the trophy for the university which has the best sports program among the member institutions. Liberty won the Sasser Cup 14 times, the most in Big South Conference history.[7]

On February 16, 2017, the NCAA approved Liberty's football program move to the FBS for the 2018 season. Liberty has competed as an FBS independent since that time. On May 17, 2018, it was announced that the Flames would move from the Big South to the ASUN starting in 2018.[8]

In November 2021, Liberty was announced as a new member of CUSA, which took effect for the 2023–24 school year.[9]

  1. ^ "Brand Colors" (PDF). Liberty University Branding Guide. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  2. ^ "BIG EAST Adds Liberty, Quinnipiac For Field Hockey" (Press release). Big East Conference. December 8, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  3. ^ "About the ASUN: Affiliate Members". ASUN Conference. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  4. ^ "ASUN Conference Adds Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving" (Press release). Atlantic Sun Conference. August 28, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  5. ^ "OVC Adds Men's Soccer as Championship Sport" (Press release). Ohio Valley Conference. March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  6. ^ "Liberty football moving from FCS to FBS". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  7. ^ "George F. "Buddy" Sasser Cup champions". Bigsouthsports.com. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  8. ^ "Atlantic Sun Conference Rising with Liberty as New Member". liberty.edu. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  9. ^ "Conference USA Adds Four Members" (Press release). Conference USA. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.


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