National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions whose football programs are not part of an NCAA-affiliated conference. This means that FBS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition like conference schools do.
 | |
| 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 | ncaa.com/independents |
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 to bowl games that 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 the College 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" (the New Year's Six bowls that issue at-large bids: Cotton, Peach, and Fiesta), if they were chosen by the CFP selection committee. Notre Dame also had a potential tie-in with the Orange Bowl, along with other bowls via its affiliation with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Historically, Notre Dame had similar agreements with its previous conference, the Big East.
The ranks of football independents increased by one starting with the 2011 season with the announcement that BYU would leave the Mountain West Conference (MW) to become a football independent starting with that season.[1] The ranks increased by two in 2013 when the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) dropped football and New Mexico State and Idaho did 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 the Sun Belt Conference (SBC)[3] and decreased by one more in 2015 with Navy joining the American Athletic Conference (The American) as a football-only member.[4][5][6] UMass became 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] and Liberty, which transitioned from the Big South Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision in 2018.[9] The UConn Huskies became an FBS independent team.[10]
The most recent changes to the independent ranks came in 2023 when BYU joined the Big 12 Conference,[11] and Liberty and New Mexico State joined Conference USA. A year later, Army joined Navy as a football-only member of The American.[12] In 2025, UMass will become a full member of the Mid-American Conference.[13]
FBS independents
Departing members are highlighted in rose.
| Institution | Location | Founded | First | Type | Enrollment | Endowment (millions) |
Nickname | Colors | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | Notre Dame, Indiana | 1842 | 1887 | Private (Catholic) |
12,681 | $18,074[14] | Fighting Irish | ACC[N 1] | |
| Connecticut | Storrs, Connecticut | 1881 | 1896 | Public | 32,333 | $708 | Huskies | Big East | |
| Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, Massachusetts | 1863 | 1879 | Public | 30,593 | $368 | Minutemen | A-10 |
Reasons for independence
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
Notre Dame unsuccessfully attempted on three occasions to join an athletic conference in the early 20th century, including the Big Ten in 1926, but was turned down, reportedly due to anti-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 the Bowl Championship Series coalition 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 with USC, Navy,[17] Michigan, Stanford, Michigan State, Boston College, Purdue, and Pitt. 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 is Boston College, which played alongside Notre Dame in Hockey East until 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 the COVID-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 lost to Clemson) 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]
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut was a founding member of the original Big East Conference in 1979, but that conference split along football lines in 2013. As noted previously, Notre Dame remained an FBS independent but placed its other sports in the ACC, and Pittsburgh and Syracuse followed Notre Dame into the ACC, also joining ACC football. The seven members without FBS football teams left to form a new non-football Big East Conference, while the remaining FBS schools (among them UConn) joined with several new members to reorganize the Big East corporate entity as the American Athletic Conference (which would lose Louisville to the ACC and Rutgers to the Big Ten a year later).
In the years after the split, UConn's flagship men's and women's basketball 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 successor Kevin Ollie had led the Huskies to a national title in the first season after 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 the COVID-19 pandemic and 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 Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst football 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 the Mid-American Conference playing 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 the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full member beginning in 2025.[31][32]
Independent school stadiums
| School | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | Notre Dame Stadium | 80,795 |
| UConn | Pratt & Whitney Stadium | 38,066 |
| UMass | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium | 17,000 |
Television rights
- One Notre Dame home game exclusively streams on Peacock, along with simulcasts of games airing on NBC, since 2021. Before that, there have been some Fighting Irish games aired on the now-defunct NBCSN. In 2020, two games aired on USA Network, one against South Florida, and a portion of the game against Clemson due to NBC's coverage of Joe Biden's victory speech, before returning to NBC for the remainder of the game.
- UConn's home games primarily aired on CBS Sports Network since 2021. The deal was made prior to the 2020 season, 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 affiliate WCCT-TV and CBS affiliate WFSB-TV respectively.
List of current and past independent schools
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 2024 season.
| 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, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; resumed playing as an independent in 2021) | |
| 2021 | present | ACC (2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; resumed playing as an independent in 2021) | |||
| 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
Notes
- 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 one pandemic-disrupted season. The Irish were eligible for the conference championship game and for the ACC's Orange Bowl bid.[15][16]
- In 1985, the Gateway 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.
- CAA Football, the technically separate football league operated by the all-sports Coastal Athletic Association, did not exist until 2007. However, it has a continuous history dating back to 1938. It started with the formation of the New England Conference, which folded in 1947, with its member schools joining the newly formed Yankee Conference under a separate charter. In 1997, the Yankee Conference merged with the Atlantic 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 the I-AA/FCS playoffs passed 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.
- This 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
External links
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