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Q&A with Liberty AD Ian McCaw Part 2: CFP changes, Football, Softball, Baseball

We had the privilege of speaking with Liberty Athletic Director Ian McCaw at length about the state of the Liberty Athletic program. We delved into a vast array of topics, focusing on the athletic program’s second year in Conference USA and the numerous changes within the college athletic landscape. We also touched on several topics […]

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We had the privilege of speaking with Liberty Athletic Director Ian McCaw at length about the state of the Liberty Athletic program. We delved into a vast array of topics, focusing on the athletic program’s second year in Conference USA and the numerous changes within the college athletic landscape. We also touched on several topics surrounding Liberty football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and other programs on the Mountain.

This will be a multi-part series we release this week. Monday’s feature focused on a recap of the 2024-25 athletic year for the Flames, goals for the athletic department, and the House Settlement, so be sure to check that out if you missed it. Today, we turn our attention to several sports around campus including football, softball, and baseball.

ASOR: There’s been a lot of discussion about changing the format of the College Football Playoff in the coming years, wh ere do you see that landing and what does Liberty need to do to be in that conversation as a potential CFP team in the coming years?

Ian McCaw: “It’s really essential that the Group of Six continue to have access. I really like the 5+11 model. It seems like that is getting a fair amount of traction right now, and that would ensure that the top Group of Five champion, the highest rated Group of Five champion, would have access. That’s really the most important part for us. Then, if we have a season like we did in 2023, it really positions us to be in the College Football Playoff and obviously that is a tremendous accomplishment for any Group of Six program.”

ASOR: The football team was unable to replicate the success from 2023 in 2024, what have you seen from Coach Chadwell and his team that gives you confidence they can get back to the top of the league this fall?

Ian McCaw: “I really like the character and the culture and really the makeup of the 2025 Flames. I’ve had a chance to get out and see some of their workouts, and they seem to be a very humble and hungry group. I think that’s a formula for success. I think they’ll be highly motivated to get back to the 2023 level.”

ASOR: What do you think of the job Coach Chadwell and his staff have done as they continue to navigate the transfer portal?

Ian McCaw: “I think they’ve done a really good job of finding players that fit the culture and also fit the needs of the team. What I’ve been most impressed with, from what I’ve seen thus far, is I think they’ve built a tremendous amount of depth, and that’s very rare at the Group of Five level and in Conference USA. Think that’s going to be a secret sauce for us is that we’re going to be probably the deepest team in Conference USA, and that really pays dividends over the course of the year because injuries occur and things happen. I think we’ve got really quality depth.”

ASOR: Coach Richardson and the softball team made history by taking down #1 Texas A&M and advancing to the Super Regionals, how much exposure did that bring to the program and the athletic department?

Ian McCaw: “Softball has done a great job of marketing itself, and they get great exposure on ESPN. As a result, playing in the final in the A&M regional was the highest rated regional game. And then the Oregon Super Regional I think was the third highest Super Regional from a rating standpoint. So, just great national exposure for the softball program, the department, the entire University. And again, that’s one of the things that successful athletics does, is it really extends the reach of the University and builds the brand and gets our mission out there. Those are all things that that add value to the institution.”

ASOR: Do you think that program has all the resources needed to continue building and potentially reaching the WCWS?

Ian McCaw: “Liberty softball is resourced to compete at the national level. Coach Dot does a great job of scheduling, which allows us to be nationally ranked like we were this year by playing such a competitive schedule, especially early in the season. So we’re really fortunate. If Stanford could have held on to the lead in the final game against Oregon, we would have been hosting a Super Regional right here on campus, which would have been absolutely incredible. But again, great season by them, but they certainly have become a nationally known program, and expect that to continue.”

ASOR: How do you think Coach LeCroy navigated his first season at Liberty and what needs to happen for that program to get back to competing for conference championships and regionals?

Ian McCaw: “I was really impressed with the job that Coach LeCroy did. He arrived late in the summer. I think we only had 13 players on the roster at that point and having to really rebuild. Ultimately, I think he brought in 26 new players. So it was two-thirds of the team was new. His ability to really get them to gel and build a strong culture, and the players absolutely love playing for him. So, I was really encouraged by all those things. I think the future of Liberty baseball is very bright under his leadership.”



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