Letterwinners Association looks to take the next step in engaging former Flames starting this fall

This fall, Liberty University’s Letterwinners Association for Athletics will look to build on its mission of engaging former team members and acknowledging the contributions of these Champions for Christ.

After launching in 2019, nearly all Letterwinners events and outreach opportunities were shut down last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Liberty looks to the 50th anniversary of the school’s founding this fall, the association led by Director Paul Rutigliano and a 22-member board of advisors is excited to further the mission of this young association.

“We’ve got such a unique base of former student athletes around the country who have played at Liberty that we need to connect with moving forward.”  Rutigliano said.  “We haven’t done it on a nationwide basis to try to get these former student athletes re-engaged within our university.  My goal is to get these former players back on campus through a series of different events and efforts where we can connect and make them feel welcomed back here at Liberty University.”

Rutigliano thinks it is fitting for the Letterwinners Association to take the next step now as Liberty Athletics is coming off its finest year in school history.

“I think it’s huge,” he said. “I believe it’s going to help each sport because these former student athletes will give back either to the Flames Club if they wish or they can give back to an individual sport’s excellence fund.”

Once they have completed selecting their advisory team, the association will have added close to 10 more alumni, giving each sport two former player representatives.

“They’ll be able to help us reconnect with the staff and say what they would like for us to do to help,” Rutigliano said. “The table has been set now, and it’s just time for us to get the word out. All the coaches know about it and are excited about it. We are strictly here to help each coach with their program and with fundraising for their programs.”

Additionally, Letterwinners will also provide current student-athletes opportunities to hear about their programs’ humble beginnings.

“There are so many athletes on campus who have no idea how Liberty got started and hopefully this will help them learn about the school’s roots,” Rutigliano said.

The Letterwinners Association’s first event this year will be during the Football Alumni Weekend Sept. 3-4, which will feature the Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet, a golf outing, and a tailgate in the Liberty Football Indoor Practice Facility, amongst other activities prior to the Flames Football season opener against Campbell that Saturday at 6 p.m. at Williams Stadium.

To donate or for information, email Liberty’s Letterwinners Association for Athletics at Letterwinners@liberty.edu or call (434) 582-3505.