Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Blog: Day 1
12/27/2023 11:58:00 PM | Football
Travel day finally arrived for the Flames as No. 23 Liberty traveled to Arizona on Wednesday in preparation for its matchup against No. 8 Oregon in this year's Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
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The game will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Monday, January 1, 2024, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN and LFSN Radio. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET/11 a.m. MT.
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Liberty (13-0, 8-0 CUSA) is making its fifth-straight bowl game appearance and the program's first-ever appearance in a New Year's Six bowl game.
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Liberty, winners of the Conference USA championship, has posted a 3-1 record in its previous bowl games. The Flames have appeared in a bowl game each year the program could be bowl eligible since moving up to the FBS level (FBS transition year in 2018; first year of bowl eligibility in 2019).
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The Flames returned to Liberty Mountain earlier this week following a few days off to spend time with friends and family for Christmas.
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Liberty held its final practice of the season in Lynchburg inside the Liberty Indoor Practice Facility on Wednesday morning at 9:45 a.m. before trying to board their planes at Lynchburg for their planned departure at 2 p.m. to Phoenix, Ariz.
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However, weather conditions that plagued many of the bowl games on the East Coast on Wednesday also hampered Liberty's departure from its home airport. Instead, the Flames were bussed to Richmond and eventually departed around 7:30 p.m. ET.
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Despite the much later than-planned arrival time in Phoenix (around 9:45 p.m.), the Flames were still greeted by a welcoming group from the famed Fiesta Bowl Yellow Jackets committee, local media, Flames fans and a mariachi band.
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After a much longer than planned travel day, the Flames finally arrived at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, the home base for the Liberty football program for the next week, around 10:30 p.m. local time.
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Liberty will begin its first full day of preparation for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in the Phoenix area tomorrow with a morning media session and the first team practice.
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Be sure to follow the Flames throughout the week on the team's official social media channels for exclusive behind-the-scenes access during this historic bowl game appearance for Liberty.
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The game will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Monday, January 1, 2024, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN and LFSN Radio. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET/11 a.m. MT.
Â
Liberty (13-0, 8-0 CUSA) is making its fifth-straight bowl game appearance and the program's first-ever appearance in a New Year's Six bowl game.
Â
Liberty, winners of the Conference USA championship, has posted a 3-1 record in its previous bowl games. The Flames have appeared in a bowl game each year the program could be bowl eligible since moving up to the FBS level (FBS transition year in 2018; first year of bowl eligibility in 2019).
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The Flames returned to Liberty Mountain earlier this week following a few days off to spend time with friends and family for Christmas.
Â
Liberty held its final practice of the season in Lynchburg inside the Liberty Indoor Practice Facility on Wednesday morning at 9:45 a.m. before trying to board their planes at Lynchburg for their planned departure at 2 p.m. to Phoenix, Ariz.
Â
However, weather conditions that plagued many of the bowl games on the East Coast on Wednesday also hampered Liberty's departure from its home airport. Instead, the Flames were bussed to Richmond and eventually departed around 7:30 p.m. ET.
Â
Despite the much later than-planned arrival time in Phoenix (around 9:45 p.m.), the Flames were still greeted by a welcoming group from the famed Fiesta Bowl Yellow Jackets committee, local media, Flames fans and a mariachi band.
Night mode ?? ??? #FiestaBowl pic.twitter.com/28dLUU7ADm
— Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (@Fiesta_Bowl) December 28, 2023
"He's in Heaven just smiling down on us." ~ @LibertyFootball @CoachChadwell on the late @LibertyU founder Jerry Falwell pic.twitter.com/2cyvJUq8SE
— Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (@Fiesta_Bowl) December 28, 2023
First-year head coach Jamey Chadwell, the CUSA Co-Coach of the Year and a finalist for most national coach of the year awards, spoke to the media upon arrival.?????????????? ???? ??????????????!
— Vrbo Fiesta Bowl (@Fiesta_Bowl) December 28, 2023
After a lengthy weather delay, Liberty has landed at @PHXSkyHarbor. ??????? pic.twitter.com/QmBi0fKBqy
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After a much longer than planned travel day, the Flames finally arrived at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, the home base for the Liberty football program for the next week, around 10:30 p.m. local time.
Â
Liberty will begin its first full day of preparation for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in the Phoenix area tomorrow with a morning media session and the first team practice.
Â
Be sure to follow the Flames throughout the week on the team's official social media channels for exclusive behind-the-scenes access during this historic bowl game appearance for Liberty.
- @LibertyFlames (X)
- @LibertyFlames (Instagram)
- Liberty Flames Football (Facebook)Â
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