LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) — For the second time in its short history at the FBS level, Liberty has finished a season ranked inside a final top 25 national poll.
Liberty was ranked No. 25 in the final Associated Press poll, which was released early this morning following the conclusion of last night’s CFP national championship game.
Liberty had a historic season in 2023, finishing the year with a program-record 13 victories (13-1) and were the winners of the CUSA Football Championship in the program’s first year as members of Conference USA.
Liberty entered bowl season as one of four undefeated teams in the country, joining Florida State, Washington and eventual national champion Michigan.
The Flames made their first-ever appearance in a New Year’s Six bowl game when No. 23 Liberty squared off against No. 8 Oregon in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The Flames spent the last five weeks of the 2023 regular season ranked inside the Associated Press top 25 poll and were ranked No. 18 heading into bowl season.
Liberty was also ranked inside the Coaches Poll during the last three weeks of 2023 and was ranked as high as No. 20 (after winning the CUSA Football Championship).
The Flames earned their spot in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl by garnering the program’s first-ever ranking in the College Football Rankings in 2023. Liberty cracked the CFP rankings at No. 25 on Nov. 19 and was ranked No. 23 in the final rankings before bowl season.
Since moving to the FBS level in 2018, Liberty has been nationally ranked in three different seasons (2020, 2022 and 2023). The Flames have been ranked 16 total weeks by the Associated Press, 13 weeks in the Coaches poll and three times in the CFP rankings.
Liberty also finished the 2020 season ranked inside both the Associated Press (No. 17) and Coaches Poll (No. 18). The Flames finished 2020 with a 10-1 record after knocking off No. 9 Coastal Carolina in the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl.
