Syracuse and Liberty Announce Football Series

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse and Liberty have agreed to a three-game football series starting in 2019, the schools announced on Friday, May 26.

The Orange are set to open the 2019 season against the Flames at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, Va. on Aug. 31. Syracuse hosts Liberty in 2020 and again the following year on Sept. 25, 2021. The date for the 2020 matchup is yet to be determined.

To accommodate the first-ever meeting between Syracuse and Liberty, the Orange's previously announced home game versus Holy Cross scheduled for Aug. 31, 2019 will be moved to a another date later in the season.

A member of the Big South Conference, Liberty recently announced plans to move from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The two-year reclassification process for the Flames starts with the 2017-18 academic year. Liberty will compete as an FBS independent during the 2018 season and become eligible for bowl games in 2019.

"We are pleased to add Liberty as an opponent," Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack said. "This series makes sense for many reasons. It's an opportunity to play in an area that's important to our recruiting and it's within driving distance of one of our largest alumni centers (Washington, D.C.). Liberty is transitioning to the FBS and they are eager to get quality Power-Five teams on their schedule."

Syracuse now has three non-conference games scheduled for 2019 and two for 2020 and 2021. Opponents for those seasons are below:

2019
Aug. 31 at Liberty
Sept. 21 at Maryland
TBD vs. Holy Cross
ACC home games: Boston College, Clemson, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest
ACC away games: Duke, Florida State, Louisville, NC State

2020
Sept. 12 at Wisconsin
TBD vs. Liberty
ACC home games: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State
ACC away games: Boston College, Clemson, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest

2021
Sept. 11 vs. Wisconsin
Sept. 25 vs. Liberty
ACC home games: Boston College, Clemson, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest
ACC away games: Florida State, Louisville, NC State, Virginia Tech

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Syracuse University Athletics

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