Members of the Liberty University Flames Club have opportunities to support student-athletes, attend events, receive game-day benefits and become more connected to the university’s athletic programs.
The Flames Club provides financial resources for Liberty’s 20 NCAA Division I teams and more than 550 student-athletes. Contributions help cover expenses for scholarships, travel, facility upgrades, academic and nutritional resources, counseling, strength and conditioning, and equipment.
Director of Operations Matthew DeLuca said the organization gives parents, alumni and members of the Lynchburg community a way to support Liberty beyond attending games.
“I think the coolest aspect of it is most of our people are donating, and they’re giving their time to show up and come to these games, not just for the success, but also because of what Liberty stands for and their mission,”DeLuca said.
The Flames Club offers different levels of annual membership. DeLuca said memberships range from $75 to $25,000 per year, with benefits varying by level.
Annual Fund contributions support Liberty’s NCAA athletic programs, while sport-specific gifts let donors choose a particular team to support. Those gifts go into the selected sport’s budget to be used by coaches and athletic staff based on the team’s needs.
“The Flames Club has become especially important as the college athletics landscape continues to change,” DeLuca said. “With the growth of the transfer portal and name, image and likeness opportunities, athletic departments face increasing financial demands to build competitive teams.”
DeLuca said Flames Club donors have supported the athletes through all kinds of circumstances.
“Even though we’ve had rocky times in our athletic department, our donors and our community have stayed loyal to us and remained strong,” DeLuca said.
Loyalty, according to DeLuca, is connected to the desire of supporters to see student-athletes succeed both during their college careers and after graduation.
The relationship between Liberty Athletics and the Lynchburg community extends beyond fundraising. DeLuca said Liberty athletic teams regularly participate in community outreaches, visiting schools, hospitals and food kitchens.
The Flames Club also works with local business leaders through the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance. DeLuca said staff members attend events and meet with members of the business community, creatingopportunities for Liberty Athletics to build relationships with local businesses.
For DeLuca, his connection to the Flames Club began when he was a Liberty student. After arriving at Liberty in 2017 as a sport management major, he began working game days as a practicum student. He later became astudent supervisor, completed an internship, served as a graduate assistant and eventually joined the Flames Club full-time.
Before moving into his current position, he also worked in membership services and development.
Now, nearly a decade after arriving in Lynchburg, DeLuca sees the Flames Club as a way for people to become part of the larger Liberty Athletics community.
“When you come alongside the Flames Club, you’re not only donating to get a tax write-off or to get better seats,” DeLuca said. “That money that you are giving is being used to train our athletes athletically, socially — but most importantly, spiritually.”
Rockenbaugh is a POV editor for The Liberty Champion.