NCAA Division I-A independent schools
Encyclopedia
FBS Independents
2011 season
NCAA Division I 
Schools 4
Sports fielded 1 (men's: 1; women's: 0)
Region Eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...


Midwest United States
Mountain States
Mountain States
thumb|300px|Regional definitions vary from source to source. The states shown in dark red are always included, while the striped states are usually considered part of the same region called the Mountain States....

Locations

NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions whose football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 programs are not part of an NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

-affiliated conference. This means that FBS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition like conference schools do. There are many fewer independent schools than in years past; many independent schools join, or attempt to join, established conferences, usually in order to gain a share of television revenue and access to bowl games that agree to take teams from certain conferences, and in order to help deal with otherwise potentially difficult challenges in scheduling opponents to play throughout the season.

All Division I FBS independents are eligible for a Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...

 bowl provided they meet eligibility requirements. Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...

 receives an automatic bid by finishing in the top eight of the final BCS ranking. Notre Dame also has other bowl agreements as part of its affiliation with the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...

, and Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...

 and Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....

 have agreements with the Military Bowl (formerly the EagleBank Bowl).

The ranks of football independents increased by one starting with the 2011 season with the announcement that BYU would leave the Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...

 to become a football independent starting with that season. BYU has an agreement with the Armed Forces Bowl
Armed Forces Bowl
The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl is an annual postseason college football bowl game that was inaugurated in 2003 as the Fort Worth Bowl under corporate sponsorship of PlainsCapital Bank. In 2005, the game was without corporate sponsorship...

 for 2011.

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. The four remaining independent FBS schools have unique circumstances that circumvent their need for conference affiliation.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...

 is one of the most prominent programs in the country. Due to its national popularity built over many years, Notre Dame is the only individual school to have its own national television contract
Notre Dame Football on NBC
Notre Dame Football on NBC is a presentation of the Notre Dame football television package on NBC. The television network broadcasts all Notre Dame home games.-History:...

, and is the only independent program to be part of the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...

 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.

Notre Dame easily fills its annual schedule without needing conference games to do so. It has longstanding rivalries with many different programs around the country, including annual rivalry games with USC, Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...

, Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...

, Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...

, and Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...

. 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. If Notre Dame were to join a conference, it would likely have to eliminate or reduce the frequency of several rivalries.

Army and Navy

Two of the remaining independent programs are two of the service academies, Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....

 and Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...

. Whereas television and bowl appearances are important sources of revenue and advertising for most other universities and their football games, the United States federal government fully funds the service academies, effectively rendering such income superfluous.

Both service academies have annual games guaranteed with each other and with Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...

. Navy has an annual rivalry game with Notre Dame and Army has a semi-regular rivalry with Notre Dame. Television rights for the longstanding Army–Navy Game, which is the last regular season game in the NCAA, serve as a significant revenue source for the programs. The academies also use their football programs to recruit for their services; without a conference schedule, the service academies are able to more easily schedule games around the country.

BYU

During the conference realignment that saw the university choose football independence in August 2010, some saw it as a potential future "Notre Dame of the West". Both are prominent faith-based schools; Notre Dame is arguably the best-known Catholic university in the U.S., while BYU is the flagship university of the LDS Church. The 1984 team
1984 BYU Cougars football team
The 1984 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University in the 1984 college football season. The Cougars went undefeated en route to winning the 1984 Holiday Bowl against Michigan and being named national champions by the AP and Coaches Poll...

's national championship is the most recent by a university that is not a current member of the BCS coalition.
BYU was getting less than $2 million a year through its contract with The MTN
MountainWest Sports Network
MountainWest Sports Network, informally known as the mtn. , is an American regional sports network dedicated to the Mountain West Conference.-History:...

, the TV network of the Mountain West Conference. BYU has its own cable channel
BYU Television
__NOEDITSECTION__Brigham Young University Television is a cable/satellite television channel operated by Brigham Young University...

, but they had a very restrictive contract which did not allow BYU to broadcast its own football games. The new contract with ESPN will pay BYU about the same amount each game that they were getting each season with The MTN and allow for greater freedom with their own channel.

FBS independents

  • United States Military Academy
    United States Military Academy
    The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

    , or Army Black Knights
    Army Black Knights football
    The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....

     (left Conference USA
    Conference USA
    Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...

     after the 2004 season; member of Patriot League
    Patriot League
    The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...

     for all other sports sponsored by that league)
  • United States Naval Academy
    United States Naval Academy
    The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

    , or Navy Midshipmen
    Navy Midshipmen football
    The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...

     (member of Patriot League
    Patriot League
    The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...

     for all other sports sponsored by that league)
  • University of Notre Dame
    University of Notre Dame
    The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

     Fighting Irish
    Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
    Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...

     (member of Big East Conference
    Big East Conference
    The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...

     for all other sports sponsored by that league)
  • Brigham Young University
    Brigham Young University
    Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...

     Cougars (member of West Coast Conference
    West Coast Conference
    The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....

     for all other sports sponsored by that league, except men's soccer)

Independents' stadiums

Institution Football Stadium Capacity
Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....

Michie Stadium
Michie Stadium
Michie Stadium is an outdoor football stadium located on the campus of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. It is the home field for the Army Black Knights. It opened in 1924 and has a current seating capacity of 38,000....

40,000
BYU LaVell Edwards Stadium
LaVell Edwards Stadium
LaVell Edwards Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Provo, Utah, on the campus of Brigham Young University. Primarily used for college football, it is the home field of the BYU Cougars....

66,923
Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...

Navy – Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 34,000
Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...

Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, just north of the city of South Bend....

80,975

University Ranking by Annual Research Dollars

  • University of Notre Dame $97.1 million
  • Brigham Young University - Provo - $25.6  million
  • Army - US Military Academy - $10.1 million
  • Navy - US Naval Academy - $8.8 million

Teams

The following is a complete list of teams which have been Division I-A (FBS) Independents since the formation of Division I-A in 1978.
Years Team Previous Conference Conference Joined Current Conference
1978–1979 Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...

Division I Independent Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...

 (1980-1998)
Mountain West Conference
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...

 (1999–present)
1987–1991 Akron
Akron Zips football
The University of Akron Zips are a college football program representing the University of Akron that competes in NCAA Division I FBS Mid-American Conference football...

Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...

Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...

 (1992–present)
1996–1998 Alabama-Birmingham
UAB Blazers football
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers college football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , as a member of the East Division of Conference USA . UAB plays its home games at Legion Field, which is located off-campus in Birmingham, Alabama...

Division I-AA Independent Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...

 (1999–present)
1992 Arkansas State
Arkansas State Red Wolves football
The Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represents Arkansas State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition. The team was originally founded in 1911, and, since 2001, Arkansas State has competed as a member of the...

Division I-AA Independent Big West Conference
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference is an NCAA-affiliated Division I mid-major college athletic conference. When the conference began in 1969, its name was the Pacific Coast Athletic Association . After nineteen years, in 1988, its name was changed to the Big West Conference. The conference stopped...

 (1993–1995)
1996–1998 Big West Conference (1993–1995) Big West Conference (1999–2000) Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...

 (2001–present)
1978–1997 Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....

Division I Independent Conference USA (1998–2004)
2005–present Conference USA (1998–2004)
1978–1990 Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...

Division I Independent Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...

 (1991–2004)
Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...

 (2005–present)
2011–present BYU  Mountain West Conference (1999–2010)
1992 Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Fullerton Titans football
The Cal State Fullerton Titans football team represented California State University, Fullerton from the 1970 through 1992 seasons. The Titans originally competed as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association from 1970-1973 before moving to the Pacific Coast Athletic Association in...

Big West Conference Dropped football
1996–2001 Central Florida Division I-AA Independent Mid-American Conference (2002–2004) Conference USA (2005–present)
1978–1995 Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats football
The Cincinnati Bearcats football program represents the University of Cincinnati in a college football. They compete at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level as members of the Big East Conference. The Bearcat football program is one of the nation's oldest, having fielded a team as...

Division I Independent Conference USA (1996–2004) Big East Conference (2005–present)
1978–1981 Colgate
Colgate Raiders football
The Colgate Raiders football team represents Colgate University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Patriot League.-History:...

Division I Independent Division I-AA Independent (1982–1985) Patriot League
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...

 (1986–present)
2000–2003 Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies football
The Connecticut Huskies football team is a collegiate football team that competes in NCAA Division I-A and the Big East Conference. Connecticut first fielded a team in 1896, and participated in Division I-AA until 1999. The Huskies began their two-year Division I-A transition period in 2000, and...

 
Atlantic 10 Conference Big East Conference (2004–present)
1978–1996 East Carolina
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...

Division I Independent Conference USA (1997–present)
1978–1991 Florida State
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

Division I Independent Atlantic Coast Conference (1992–present)
1978 Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

Division I Independent Atlantic Coast Conference (1979–present)
1978 Hawaii
Hawaii Warriors football
The Hawaii Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team, which is currently coached by Greg McMackin, is part of the Western Athletic Conference until 2012, when the team joins the Mountain West Conference.The Hawaii Warriors...

Division I Independent Western Athletic Conference (1979–present)
1978–1981 Holy Cross
Holy Cross Crusaders football
The Holy Cross Crusaders football team is the collegiate football program of the College of the Holy Cross. The team is a member of the Patriot League, an NCAA Division I conference that participates in the second-level Football Championship Subdivision, more commonly known as FCS or the...

Division I Independent Division I-AA Independent (1982–1985) Patriot League (1986–present)
1978–1980 Illinois State
Illinois State Redbirds
The Illinois State Redbirds are the athletic teams that represent Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Teams play at the NCAA Division I level . The football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while most other teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...

Division I Independent Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...

 (1981–1984)
Missouri Valley Football Conference (1985–present)
1978–1981 Indiana State
Indiana State Sycamores football
The Indiana State Sycamores football team is the NCAA Division I men's football program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Playoffs in the 1984 NCAA Division I Football...

Division I Independent Division I-AA Independent (1982–1985) Missouri Valley Football Conference (1986–present)
1991 Long Beach State
Long Beach State 49ers football
The Long Beach State 49ers football team represented California State University, Long Beach from the 1955 through 1991 seasons. The 49ers originally competed as an Independent before joining the California Collegiate Athletic Association in 1958. By the 1969 season, the 49ers would join the...

Big West Conference Dropped football
1989–1992 Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football program represents Louisiana Tech University in Western Athletic Conference. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Since the Bulldogs first season in 1901, Louisiana Tech has compiled an all-time record of 554 wins, 422...

Division I-AA Independent Big West Conference (1993–1995)
1996–2000 Big West Conference (1993–1995) Western Athletic Conference (2001–present)
1982–1992 Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football
The Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football program is a college football team that represents the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the Sun Belt Conference.-Football classifications:*1937–1962: National Junior College Athletic Association...

Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...

Big West Conference (1993–1995)
1996–2000 Big West Conference (1993–1995) Sun Belt Conference (2001–present)
1996–2000 Louisiana-Monroe Southland Conference Sun Belt Conference (2001–present)
1978–1995 Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...

Division I Independent Conference USA (1996–2004) Big East Conference (2005–present)
1978–1995 Memphis
Memphis Tigers football
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA...

Division I Independent Conference USA (1996–present)
1978–1990 Miami (FL)
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...

Division I Independent Big East Conference (1991–2003) Atlantic Coast Conference (2004–present)
1999–2000 Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team represents Middle Tennessee State University in NCAA Division I FBS football competition. The Blue Raiders, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, play their home games at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.Rick Stockstill has...

Ohio Valley Conference Sun Belt Conference (2001–present)
1978–present Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...

Division I Independent
1978–1982 North Texas
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...

Division I Independent Southland Conference (1983–1994)
1995 Southland Conference (1983–1994) Big West Conference (1996–2000) Sun Belt Conference (2001–present)
1987–1992 Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois Huskies football
The Northern Illinois Huskies football team represents Northern Illinois University in the Mid-American Conference of the NCAA's Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision.-History:...

Mid-American Conference Big West Conference (1993–1995)
1996 Big West Conference (1993–1995) Mid-American Conference (1997–present)
1978–present Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...

Division I Independent
1978–1992 Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...

Division I Independent Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

 (1993–present)
1978–1990 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...

Division I Independent Big East Conference (1991–present)
1978–1981 Richmond
Richmond Spiders football
The Richmond Spiders are a college football team representing the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Richmond was the Division I Football Championship Subdivision champion for the 2008 season. Richmond currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of the NCAA's Division I...

Division I Independent Division I-AA Independent (1982–1983) Colonial Athletic Association (1984–present)
1978–1990 Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights football
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...

Division I Independent Big East Conference (1991–present)
1978–1991 South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...

Division I Independent Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...

 (1992–present)
2001–2002 South Florida
South Florida Bulls football
The South Florida Bulls are a Division I FBS college football program that plays its home games in Tampa, Florida. The team began playing in 1997, holding its first team meeting under a shade tree as the school had no proper football facilities on campus...

Division I-AA Independent Conference USA (2003–2004) Big East Conference (2005–present)
1978–1995 Southern Mississippi
Southern Miss Golden Eagles football
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football program represents the University of Southern Mississippi in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Eagles are members of Conference USA and player their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi...

Division I Independent Conference USA (1996–present)
1978–1990 Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...

Division I Independent Big East Conference (1991–present)
1978–1990 Temple
Temple Owls football
The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference...

Division I Independent Big East Conference (1991–2004)
2005–2006 Big East Conference (1991–2004) Mid-American Conference (2007–present)
1978–1980 Tennessee State
Tennessee State Tigers football
The Tennessee State Tigers are the college football team representing the Tennessee State University. The Tigers play in NCAA Division I Football Championship as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference.-National championships:*1946*1947*1954*1956*1965...

Division I Independent Division I-AA Independent (1981–1987) Ohio Valley Conference (1988–present)
2002–2003 Troy
Troy Trojans football
The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University, Alabama, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, of which it has been a member since 2001...

Division I-AA Independent Sun Belt Conference (2004–present)
1978–1995 Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...

Division I Independent Conference USA (1996–present)
1986–1995 Tulsa
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football
The University of Tulsa's Golden Hurricane football team represents Tulsa in Conference USA. Tulsa is currently coached by first-year head coach Bill Blankenship. The football team was coached by Todd Graham until he accepted the head coaching job at Pittsburgh....

Missouri Valley Conference Western Athletic Conference (1996–2004) Conference USA (2005–present)
1978–1981 UNLV
UNLV Rebels football
The UNLV Rebels football program is a college football team that represents the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association...

Division II Independent
NCAA Division II independent schools
NCAA Division II independent schools are four-year institutions that field intercollegiate teams in football and other sports, but which are not formally affiliated with any athletic conference.-Full Division II member:...

Big West Conference (1982–1995) Mountain West Conference (1999–present)
2001–2002 Utah State
Utah State Aggies football
The Utah State Aggies are a college football team that competes in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I, representing Utah State University. The Utah State college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Romney Stadium since 1968...

Big West Conference Sun Belt Conference (2003–2004) Western Athletic Conference (2005–present)
1978–1980 Villanova
Villanova Wildcats football
The Villanova Wildcats football program represents Villanova University in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The Wildcats play at Villanova Stadium with capacity of 12,500.-History:...

Division I Independent Dropped Football Colonial Athletic Association (1985–present)
1978–1990 Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...

Division I Independent Big East Conference (1991–2003) Atlantic Coast Conference (2004–present)
1978–1990 West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...

Division I Independent Big East Conference (1991–present)
1986 Wichita State Missouri Valley Conference Dropped football
1978–1981 William & Mary
William & Mary Tribe football
The William & Mary Tribe are a college football team representing the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. William & Mary currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision. As of 2010, Jimmye Laycock is in his 31st...

Division I Independent Division I-AA Independent (1982–1992) Colonial Athletic Association (1993–present)

See also

  • College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS
  • NCAA Division I basketball independent schools

External links


See also

  • NCAA Division I FCS independent schools
  • NCAA Division I independent schools (basketball)
    NCAA Division I independent schools (basketball)
    NCAA Division I independent basketball schools are four-year institutions that do not belong to a basketball conference or a primary conference for all sports teams.-Schools:...

  • NCAA Division I independent schools (ice hockey)
    NCAA Division I independent schools (ice hockey)
    NCAA Division I independent schools are teams that compete in NCAA college ice hockey but are not members of a conference. There are several current schools who, at one time or another, competed as Division I independents.-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:...

  • NCAA Division II independent schools
    NCAA Division II independent schools
    NCAA Division II independent schools are four-year institutions that field intercollegiate teams in football and other sports, but which are not formally affiliated with any athletic conference.-Full Division II member:...

  • NCAA Division III independent schools
    NCAA Division III independent schools
    NCAA Division III independents are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the NCAA’s Division III level, but do so independently of an established athletic conference. These same institutions often compete as members of an intercollegiate athletic conference in some sports...

  • NAIA independent schools
    NAIA independent schools
    NAIA independent schools are 4-year institutional members of the NAIA that play independent of any formal conference affiliation. Many NAIA independent schools are members of the Association of Independent Institutions , which allows members to have a formal route to NAIA tournaments.-See...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK