NCAA Division I FBS independent schools
 | |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1978 |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division I |
| Subdivision | FBS |
| No. of teams | 3 (2 in 2025) |
| Region | Eastern United States Midwestern United States |
| Official website | Official website |
| Locations | |
 | |
National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA)Football Bowl Subdivision independent schoolsare four-year institutions whosefootballprograms are not part of anNCAA-affiliatedconference.This means that FBS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition like conference schools do.
There are fewer independent schools than in years past; many independent schools join, or attempt to join, established conferences. The main reasons to join a conference are to gain a share of television revenue and access tobowl gamesthat agree to take teams from certain conferences, and to help deal with otherwise potentially difficult challenges in scheduling opponents to play throughout the season.
All Division I FBS independents are eligible for theCollege Football Playoff(CFP), though under the current playoff format they are not eligible for an automatic bid reserved for conference champions and thus must qualify through one of the seven at-large bids. This also prevents an independent school from earning a bye to the quarterfinals of the playoffs as they are reserved to the 4 highest ranked conference champions and thus they must enter the playoff in the first round as a 5-12 seed.
Independents historically had eligibility for the so-called "access bowls" (theNew Year's Sixbowls that issue at-large bids:Cotton,Peach,andFiesta), if they were chosen by the CFP selection committee. Notre Dame also had a potential tie-in with theOrange Bowl,along with other bowls via its affiliation with theAtlantic Coast Conference(ACC). Historically, Notre Dame had similar agreements with its previous conference, theBig East.
The ranks of football independents increased by one starting with the 2011 season with the announcement thatBYUwould leave theMountain West Conference(MW) to become a football independent starting with that season.[1]The ranks increased by two in 2013 when theWestern Athletic Conference(WAC) dropped football andNew Mexico StateandIdahodid not have a conference for football.[2]The ranks of football independents decreased by two in 2014 with the return of Idaho and New Mexico State as football-only members of theSun Belt Conference(SBC)[3]and decreased by one more in 2015 with Navy joining theAmerican Athletic Conference(The American) as a football-only member.[4][5][6]UMassbecame an FBS independent in 2016.[7]Two further teams joined the ranks of FBS independents for the 2018 season: New Mexico State, whose membership in the Sun Belt Conference was not extended beyond the 2017 season,[8]andLiberty,which transitioned from theBig South Conferenceof theFootball Championship Subdivisionin 2018.[9]TheUConn Huskiesbecame an FBS independent team.[10]
The most recent changes to the independent ranks came in 2023 when BYU joined theBig 12 Conference,[11]and Liberty and New Mexico State joinedConference USA.A year later, Army joined Navy as a football-only member of The American.[12]In 2025,UMasswill become a full member of theMid-American Conference.[13]
FBS independents
[edit]Departing members are highlighted in rose.
| Institution | Location | Founded | First season | Type | Enrollment | Endowment (millions) |
Nickname | Colors | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, Indiana | 1842 | 1887 | Private (Catholic) |
12,681 | $18,074[14] | Fighting Irish | ACC [N 1] | |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs, Connecticut | 1881 | 1896 | Public | 32,333 | $708 | Huskies | Big East | |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, Massachusetts | 1863 | 1879 | Public | 30,593 | $368 | Minutemen | A-10 |
Reasons for independence
[edit]In recent years, most independent FBS schools have joined a conference for two primary reasons: a guaranteed share of television and bowl revenues, and ease of scheduling.
In addition it may be possible that a new school leaves, is forced out from a conference, or has reclassified themselves from a diffrent NCAA division and are not able to join a new conference immediately thus forcing them to be an independent school.
Notre Dame
[edit]Notre Dameunsuccessfully attempted on three occasions to join an athletic conference in the early 20th century, including theBig Tenin 1926, but was turned down, reportedly due toanti-Catholicism.[17]Notre Dame is now one of the most prominent programs in the country. Because of its national popularity built over several decades, Notre Dame was the only independent program to be part of theBowl Championship Seriescoalition and its guaranteed payout. These factors help make Notre Dame one of the most financially valuable football programs in the country, thus negating the need for Notre Dame to secure revenue by joining a conference.[18][19]
Previously, Notre Dame had filled its annual schedule without needing conference games to do so. It had longstanding rivalries with many different programs around the country, many under long-term contracts, including annual rivalry games withUSC,Navy,[17]Michigan,Stanford,Michigan State,Boston College,Purdue,andPitt.All Notre Dame home games and most away games are on national television, so other teams have a large financial incentive to schedule the university. Nonetheless, Notre Dame joined the ACC in 2013 for all sports except football and men's ice hockey (the only other ACC member with a men's ice hockey varsity team isBoston College,which played alongside Notre Dame inHockey Eastuntil 2017, when Notre Dame switched to the Big Ten). As part of this agreement, Notre Dame plays five of its football games each season against ACC members. This arrangement required Notre Dame to eliminate or reduce the frequency of several rivalries: the Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue series were canceled, while Boston College and Pitt, ACC members themselves, now play Notre Dame every three or four years. On the other hand, the move has allowed Notre Dame to resume old rivalries with ACC members Georgia Tech and Miami, while still scheduling Big Ten opponents from time to time.
In 2020, after several non-ACC games were canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,Notre Dame opted to play a full ACC football schedule for just the 2020 season. The Irish were eligible for the conference championship game (which they losttoClemson) and the conference's automatic bowl bids. Notre Dame's football program returned to independence in 2021, with its schedule including the usual five games against ACC schools.[20]
UConn
[edit]TheUniversity of Connecticutwas a founding member of theoriginal Big East Conferencein 1979, but that conferencesplit along football linesin 2013. As noted previously, Notre Dame remained an FBS independent but placed its other sports in the ACC, andPittsburghandSyracusefollowed Notre Dame into the ACC, also joining ACC football. The seven members without FBS football teams left to form a new non-footballBig East Conference,while the remaining FBS schools (among them UConn) joined with several new members to reorganize the Big East corporate entity as theAmerican Athletic Conference(which would loseLouisvilleto the ACC andRutgersto the Big Ten a year later).
In the years after the split, UConn's flagshipmen'sandwomen'sbasketball programs faced significant issues.Jim Calhoun,the coach who had largely built the UConn men into a national powerhouse, had retired after the 2011–12 season. While his successorKevin Olliehad led the Huskies toa national titleinthe first seasonafter the split, the team faded noticeably in later seasons, and Ollie was fired after the 2017–18 season amid an NCAA investigation.[21]Ollie's final season saw UConn men's attendance reach its lowest level in 30 years. The women had a somewhat different issue, namely a severe lack of competition in The American. In their seven seasons in that league, the Huskies went unbeaten in conference play, both in the regular season and the conference tournament,[22][23]with all but two of their 139 conference wins being by double-digit margins.[24]
The Huskies received and accepted an invitation to join the reconfigured Big East in 2019, with a July 2020 entry date. Due to the Big East not sponsoring football, UConn was willing to stay in The American as a football-only member. After leaving the conference in all other sports, the American Athletic Conference was unwilling to allow UConn to remain as a football-only member, leading to UConn's independence in football beginning in 2020.[10]Ironically, the football program's poor record in recent seasons may make it easier to find FBS opponents to fill out the schedule.[25]
UConn opted not to field a team in 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemicand the resulting disruption to college football schedules. Specifically, as many other programs moved to conference-only schedules due to the pandemic, several of UConn's scheduled matches were canceled, and the program's status as an independent made it very difficult to schedule replacement games.[26]
UMass
[edit]TheUniversity of Massachusetts Amherstfootball program played in the Football Championship Subdivision of NCAA Division I before 2011, including a national championship season in 1998. The Minutemen began a two-year Football Bowl Subdivision transition period in 2011, with the support of theMid-American Conferenceplaying in their conference as a football-only member. In March 2014, the MAC and UMass announced an agreement for the Minutemen to leave the conference after the 2015 season due to declining an offer to become a full member of the conference. In the agreement between the MAC and the university, there was a contractual clause that had UMass playing in the MAC as a football-only member for two more seasons if UMass declined a full membership offer. Massachusetts announced that it would look for a "more suitable conference" for the team.[27][28]In September 2014, Massachusetts announced that they would be leaving the MAC and would compete as an independent beginning with the 2016 season.[29][30]
In late February 2024, it was announced that the 2024 season for UMass will be the last season competing as an independent. The Minutemen will rejoin theMid-American Conference(MAC) as a full member beginning in 2025.[31][32]
Independent school stadiums
[edit]| School | Football stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | Notre Dame Stadium | 80,795 |
| UConn | Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field | 38,066 |
| UMass | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium | 17,000 |
Television rights
[edit]| School | Network | First season |
|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | NBC/Peacock[a] | 1991 |
| UConn | CBS[b] | 2021 |
| UMass | ESPN[c] | 2022 |
- ^One Notre Dame home game exclusively streams onPeacock,along with simulcasts of games airing on NBC, since 2021. Before that, there have been some Fighting Irish games aired on the now-defunctNBCSN.In 2020, two games aired onUSA Network,one againstSouth Florida,and a portion of the game againstClemsondue toNBC's coverage ofJoe Biden's victory speech, before returning to NBC for the remainder of thegame.
- ^UConn's home games primarily aired onCBS Sports Networksince2021.The deal was made prior to the2020season, but the team cancelled their season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2024 season will be their fourth and final season in the deal. No home game has aired on the CBS network during their deal. In 2022 and 2023, one home game, both being against in-state FCS schools, were broadcast on The CW affiliateWCCT-TVand CBS affiliateWFSB-TVrespectively.
- ^UMass home games primarily stream on theESPN+streaming platform. The only non-streaming home game was in2023againstToledo,broadcast onESPNU.
List of current and past independent schools
[edit]The following is an incomplete list of teams which have been Division I-A (FBS) Independents since the formation of Division I-A in 1978. School names reflect those in current use by their athletic programs, which may not reflect names used when those schools were independents. Conference alignments reflect those in place for the next NCAA season in 2024.
| From | To | Team | Previous conference | Conference joined | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 1979 | Air Force | Division I Independent | WAC(1980–1998) | Mountain West(1999–present) |
| 1987 | 1991 | Akron | OVC | MAC(1992–present) | |
| 1992 | Arkansas State | Division I-AA independent | Big West(1993–1995) | ||
| 1996 | 1998 | Big West(1993–1995) | Big West(1999–2000) | Sun Belt(2001–present) | |
| 1978 | 1997 | Army | Division I independent | CUSA(1998–2004) | |
| 2005 | 2023 | CUSA(1998–2004) | American(2024–present) | ||
| 1978 | 1990 | Boston College | Division I independent | Big East(1991–2004) | ACC(2005–present) |
| 2011 | 2022 | BYU | Mountain West(1999–2010) | Big 12(2023–present) | |
| 1978 | 1995 | Cincinnati | Division I independent | CUSA(1996–2004) | Big 12(2023–present) |
| 1978 | 1981 | Colgate | Division I independent | Division I-AA independent (1982–1985) | Patriot League(1986–present) |
| 1978 | 1996 | East Carolina | Division I independent | CUSA(1997–2013) | American(2014–present) |
| 1978 | 1991 | Florida State | Division I independent | ACC(1992–present) | |
| 1978 | 1982 | Georgia Tech | Division I independent | ACC(1983–present) | |
| 1978 | Hawaii | Division I independent | WAC(1979–2011) | Mountain West(2012–present) | |
| 1978 | 1981 | Holy Cross | Division I independent | Division I-AA independent (1982–1985) | Patriot League(1986–present) |
| 2013 | Idaho | WAC(2005–2012) | Sun Belt(2014–2017) | Big Sky(2018–present) | |
| 1978 | 1980 | Illinois State | Division I independent | MVC(1981–1984) | MVFC(1985–present)[N 2] |
| 1978 | 1981 | Indiana State | Division I independent | Division I-AA independent (1982–1985) | MVFC(1986–present)[N 2] |
| 2018 | 2022 | Liberty | Big South(2002–2017) | CUSA(2023–present) | |
| 1982 | 1992 | Louisiana | Southland Conference | Big West(1993–1995) | Sun Belt(2001–present) |
| 1996 | 2000 | Big West(1993–1995) | Sun Belt(2001–present) | ||
| 1989 | 1992 | Louisiana Tech | Division I-AA independent | Big West(1993–1995) | |
| 1996 | 2000 | Big West(1993–1995) | WAC(2001–2012) | CUSA(2013–present) | |
| 1978 | 1981 | Louisiana–Monroe | Division I independent | Southland(1982-1993) | |
| 1994 | 2000 | Southland(1982-1993) | Sun Belt(2001–present) | ||
| 1978 | 1995 | Louisville | Division I independent | CUSA(1996–2004) | ACC(2014–present) |
| 1978 | 1995 | Memphis | Division I independent | CUSA(1996–2012) | American(2013–present) |
| 1978 | 1990 | Miami (FL) | Division I independent | Big East(1991–2003) | ACC(2004–present) |
| 1999 | 2000 | Middle Tennessee | OVC | Sun Belt(2001–2012) | CUSA(2013–present) |
| 1978 | 2014 | Navy | Division I independent | American(2015–present) | |
| 2013 | New Mexico State | WAC(2005–2012) | Sun Belt(2014–2017) | ||
| 2018 | 2022 | Sun Belt(2014–2017) | CUSA(2023–present) | ||
| 1978 | 1982 | North Texas | Division I independent | Southland(1983–1994) | |
| 1995 | Southland(1983–1994) | Big West(1996–2000) | American(2023–present) | ||
| 1987 | 1992 | Northern Illinois | MAC | Big West(1993–1995) | |
| 1996 | Big West(1993–1995) | MAC(1997–present) | |||
| 1978 | 2019 | Notre Dame | Division I independent | ACC(2020) | |
| 2021 | present | ACC(2020) | |||
| 1978 | 1992 | Penn State | Division I independent | Big Ten(1993–present) | |
| 1978 | 1990 | Pittsburgh | Division I independent | Big East(1991–2012) | ACC(2013–present) |
| 1978 | 1981 | Richmond | Division I independent | Division I-AA Independent (1982–1983) | CAA Football(1984–present)[N 3] |
| 1978 | 1990 | Rutgers | Division I independent | Big East/American(1991–2013)[N 4] | Big Ten(2014–present) |
| 1978 | 1991 | South Carolina | Division I independent | SEC(1992–present) | |
| 2001 | 2002 | South Florida | Division I-AA independent | CUSA(2003–2004) | Big East/American(2005–present)[N 5] |
| 1978 | 1995 | Southern Miss | Division I independent | CUSA(1996–2021) | Sun Belt(2022–present) |
| 1978 | 1990 | Syracuse | Division I independent | Big East(1991–2012) | ACC(2013–present) |
| 1978 | 1990 | Temple | Division I independent | Big East(1991–2004) | |
| 2005 | 2006 | Big East(1991–2004) | MAC(2007–2011) | Big East/American(2012–present)[N 5] | |
| 2002 | 2003 | Troy | Division I-AA independent | Sun Belt(2004–present) | |
| 1978 | 1995 | Tulane | Division I independent | CUSA(1996–2013) | American(2014–present) |
| 1986 | 1995 | Tulsa | MVC | WAC(1996–2004) | American(2014–present) |
| 1996 | 1998 | UAB | Division I-AA independent | CUSA(1999–2014, 2017–2022)[N 6] | American(2023–present) |
| 1996 | 2001 | UCF | Division I-AA independent | MAC(2002–2004) | Big 12(2023–present) |
| 2000 | 2003 | UConn | Atlantic 10(1997–1999) | Big East(2004–2012) | |
| 2020 | present | American(2013–2019) | |||
| 2016 | present | UMass | Mid-American(2012–2015) | ||
| 1978 | 1981 | UNLV | Division II independent | Big West(1982–1995) | Mountain West(1999–present) |
| 2001 | 2002 | Utah State | Big West | Sun Belt(2003–2004) | Mountain West(2013–present) |
| 1978 | 1980 | Villanova | Division I independent | Dropped football | CAA Football(1985–present)[N 3] |
| 1978 | 1990 | Virginia Tech | Division I independent | Big East(1991–2003) | ACC(2004–present) |
| 1978 | 1990 | West Virginia | Division I independent | Big East(1991–2011) | Big 12(2012–present) |
| 2008 | Western Kentucky | Gateway Football Conference | Sun Belt(2009–2013) | CUSA(2014–present) | |
| 1986 | Wichita State | MVC | Dropped football | ||
| 1978 | 1981 | William & Mary | Division I independent | Division I-AA independent (1982-1992) | CAA Football(2007–present)[N 3] |
See also
[edit]- NCAA Division I FCS independent schools
- NCAA Division I independent schools
- NCAA Division II independent schools
- NCAA Division III independent schools
- NAIA independent schools
Notes
[edit]- ^Notre Dame is officially an independent football team. However, as part of the agreement to join the ACC in other sports, Notre Dame agreed to schedule 5 games per year against ACC opponents. In 2020, after several games against non-ACC schools were cancelled, Notre Dame opted to play a full ACC schedule for that onepandemic-disruptedseason. The Irish were eligible for the conference championship game and for the ACC'sOrange Bowlbid.[15][16]
- ^abIn 1985, theGateway Collegiate Athletic Conference,a women's sports conference parallel to the Missouri Valley Conference, added football as its only men's sport by taking in the MVC's I-AA football teams. In 1992, the women's portion of the Gateway merged with the MVC; the football conference kept the Gateway charter, changing the conference name to Gateway Football Conference. The current name was adopted in 2008.
- ^abcCAA Football, the technically separate football league operated by the all-sportsCoastal Athletic Association,did not exist until 2007. However, it has a continuous history dating back to 1938. It started with the formation of theNew England Conference,which folded in 1947, with its member schools joining the newly formedYankee Conferenceunder a separate charter. In 1997, the Yankee Conference merged with theAtlantic 10 Conference.After the 2006 season, the A-10 football conference disbanded, with all of its members joining the new CAA Football. The automatic berth of the Yankee Conference in theI-AA/FCS playoffspassed in succession to the A-10 and CAA Football.
- ^Rutgers remained in the American Athletic Conference for the 2013 season before leaving for the Big Ten Conference in 2014.
- ^abThis school remained in the conference that includes the FBS members of the pre-2013 Big East Conference, which began operating as the American Athletic Conference in July 2013.
- ^UAB dropped football after the 2014 season, but reinstated the sport for 2017 and beyond. The school remained a CUSA member throughout.
References
[edit]- ^Katz, Andy(August 31, 2010)."BYU leaving MWC for 2011–12 season".ESPN.com.RetrievedAugust 31,2010.
- ^Hinnen, Jerry (September 12, 2012)."New Mexico State makes it official, will go independent in 2013".CBSsports.com.CBS Interactive.RetrievedJune 17,2014.
- ^"Idaho and New Mexico State to Join Sun Belt Conference As Football Members in 2014"(Press release). Sun Belt Conference. March 27, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon July 3, 2013.RetrievedMarch 28,2013.
- ^At the time Navy announced it would leave the independent ranks, its destination conference was known as theBig East Conference.Whenthat conference splitinto football-sponsoring and non-football conferences in July 2013, the non-football schools took theBig East namewith them. The football-sponsoring conference now operate as the American Athletic Conference.
- ^"Independent football schedule taking shape for UMass" >[1]
- ^"Sun Belt Football to Be 10 Teams in 2018"(Press release). Sun Belt Conference. March 1, 2016.RetrievedMarch 1,2016.
- ^"Liberty to become FBS independent in 2018".Fox Sports.February 16, 2017.RetrievedMay 16,2017.
- ^ab@Brett_McMurphy (July 26, 2019)."UConn will become an FBS independent in football & reaches agreement with American, will pay $17 million exit fee to leave league & join Big East In Olympic sports on July 1, 2020"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
- ^"BYU to Join Big 12 Conference"(Press release). BYU Cougars. September 10, 2021.RetrievedOctober 4,2021.
- ^"Sources: Army approved to join AAC for football".ESPN.com.2023-10-25.Retrieved2023-10-25.
- ^"Mid-American Conference to Add University of Massacusetts as Full Member"(Press release). Mid-American Conference. February 29, 2024.RetrievedFebruary 29,2024.
- ^"2021 NACUBO-TIAA Study of Endowments (NTSE) Results".April 20, 2022.
- ^"ACC sets 11-game slate, includes Notre Dame".ESPN.com.July 30, 2020.
- ^"Notre Dame Goes To ACC: Bowl Security, Football Scheduling Flexibility Key To Move".Sports Business Daily.Street and Smith’s Sports Group. September 13, 2012.RetrievedSeptember 9,2013.
- ^abHelliker, Kevin (2013-01-03)."Notre Dame's Holy Line".The Wall Street Journal.RetrievedJanuary 7,2013.
- ^Gage, Jack (2006-12-22)."The most valuable college football teams".Forbes.newsinfo.nd.edu. Archived fromthe originalon August 28, 2007.Retrieved2008-04-06.
- ^"Notre Dame Football Program Ranked Most Valuable In College Football".Forbes.com.2006-11-20. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-04-19.Retrieved2008-04-06.
- ^"Football".
- ^"Chasing Ghosts: Calhoun looms large, but clouds parting at UConn".ESPN.com.July 23, 2019.RetrievedAugust 11,2019.
- ^Borzello, Jeff; Schlabach, Mark (June 22, 2019)."Sources: UConn expected to rejoin Big East".ESPN.com.RetrievedJune 22,2019.
- ^Thamel, Pete(June 22, 2019)."Sources: UConn move to the Big East inevitable".Yahoo Sports.RetrievedJune 22,2019.
- ^"No. 5 UConn beats Cincy 87-53, finishes perfect run in AAC".ESPN.com.Associated Press. March 9, 2020. Archived fromthe originalon March 15, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 30,2021.
- ^"What UConn Football's Schedule Could Look Like in 2020 as Independent".2019-06-23.
- ^Bromberg, Nick (August 5, 2020)."Without a conference, UConn cancels football in 2020".Yahoo! Sports.
- ^"UMass Football Will Leave Mid-American Conference at End of 2015".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-04.
- ^"UMass football, MAC to part ways following 2015 season".2014-03-26.
- ^"UMass football announces 19 games for 2016-22 seasons featuring BYU, Appalachian State, Ohio and Hawaii".2014-09-24.
- ^"Matt Vautour: Independent football schedule taking shape for UMass".Archived fromthe originalon November 13, 2014.
- ^Withers, Tom (February 27, 2024)."UMass will join Mid-American Conference as a full sports member in 2025, MAC commissioner says".Associated Press.RetrievedFebruary 27,2024.
- ^Hernandez, Victoria (February 26, 2024)."UMass to join MAC conference, including previously independent football, per reports".USA Today.RetrievedFebruary 27,2024.
