The Liberty Flames men's basketball program began in 1972 under head coach Dan Manley.

The Flames defeated Norfolk State and Samford before losing to UMBC (which would go on to score a historic upset of Virginia in the next season's NCAA tournament).

The University gained some media attention in the winter of 2005 when their women's basketball team, the Lady Flames led by Katie Feenstra, made the Sweet Sixteen of the 2005 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, being labeled a "Cinderella" team.

After defeating fourth-seeded Penn State and fifth-seeded DePaul, the Flames' winning streak was halted by top-seeded LSU.

Feenstra was later drafted by the San Antonio Silver Stars (now Las Vegas Aces) of the WNBA.

[11] In addition, the Lady Flames won the Big South Conference Tournament, beating High Point University 81-73.

The Liberty Flames captured their first Big South Conference football championship with a 31-0 victory over Gardner–Webb University.

[12][13] Topping its 2007 performance, Liberty ran its unbeaten Big South streak to 11-straight games, finishing back-to-back conference championship seasons with a 30-10 victory over Gardner–Webb.

[14][15][16] Jamey Chadwell took over the Liberty football program ahead of the 2023 season and lead it to unprecedented heights.

[18] Sam Chelanga holds the NCAA record for the 10,000 meters run with a time of 27:08.49 set at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Palo Alto, California on May 1, 2010.

[19] Competing in cross country and the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, between 2009 and 2011, he won four NCAA Division I championship gold medals and three silvers.

That year the Liberty's men's cross country squad finished runner-up behind Campbell University.

The Flames were runner up three years in a row and have posted 14 consecutive top-two Big South finishes.

In 2010, he had his best season, qualifying for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships and breaking Liberty and Big South triple jump records with a 52-1.25 (15.88m) effort.

[21] During his sophomore year (2009), despite injuries, Powell continued to excel, placing in multiple events at the Big South Championships and setting a new school indoor triple jump record.

Powell attended Cottondale High School, where he was a two-time Florida state champion in the triple jump.

LU went 23–3–3 and won a bid to the 2010 ACHA Division I Championships in Chicago, Illinois, The team lost 7–3 in the first round to Arizona State.

[24] In 2011, Liberty announced that it would no longer sponsor a varsity wrestling team, citing Title IX concerns.

[25] The team had competed as an independent NCAA Division I program from 2006–2011 since the Big South Conference does not host a wrestling championship.

Located next to the Vines Center, the former home of the aforementioned teams, and connected to that facility by a tunnel, it was officially opened on November 23, 2020, with the first event, a Lady Flames basketball game, held on December 1.

The Vines Center was also home to men's wrestling until that program was downgraded from varsity to club status in 2011.

[citation needed] A further addition to the facility was completed in 2013, featuring new practice courts, locker rooms, and coaches' office for the basketball teams.