NCAA Division I FCS independent schools explained

NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions in the United States whose football programs are not part of a football conference. This means that FCS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition as conference schools do. As of the 2024 season, Merrimack and Sacred Heart will be competing as independents, as their primary conference, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, does not sponsor football. They were previously members of the Northeast Conference which does sponsor the sport. Merrimack and Sacred Heart are confirmed to play as FCS independents in 2024.[1] [2]

Current FCS independents

Years Team Nickname Previous conference Future conference
2024 MerrimackWarriorsTBD
2024 Sacred HeartPioneersTBD

Former FCS independents

The following is a complete list of teams that have been Division I-AA/FCS Independents since the formation of Division I-AA in 1978. The "Current Conference" column indicates affiliations for the 2023 college football season. The years listed in this table are football seasons; since football is a fall sport, this means that the final season of independent status, or membership in a given conference, is the calendar year before a conference change took effect.

Teams in italics are current FBS members; this includes second-year transitional schools that are counted as FBS for scheduling purposes but not bowl game eligibility. Because James Madison met FBS scheduling requirements in its first season in the Sun Belt Conference in 2022 (specifically five home games against FBS opposition), it was allowed to skip the first year of the normal two-year process.

Years Team Previous conference Conference joined Current conference
2013 Lone Star (Div. II) Southland (2014–2020) UAC (2023–present)[3]
1987–1991 Arkansas State Division I-A Independent (1992) Sun Belt (2001–present)[4]
1997–2000 Ohio Valley[5] Pioneer Football League (2001–2005) UAC (2023–present)
2006 Pioneer Football League Ohio Valley (2007–2021)
1978–1985 Patriot League (1986–present)[6]
1993–1998 Buffalo Mid-American Conference (1999–present)[7]
1996–2003 Great West (2004–2011)[8] Big Sky (2012–present)
2001 Dropped football
2006 Southland (2007–2020) UAC (2023–present)
1993–1995 Northeast (1996–present)
1993–2001 No football program Big South (2002–2022) Big South–OVC (2023–present)
2013–2014 No football program CUSA (2015–2022) American (2023–present)[9]
2016 Coastal Carolina Sun Belt (2017–present)
1982–1985 Patriot League (1986–present)
1989 Division III Independent (1990–1992)
1993–2000 Division III Independent Pioneer Football League (2001–present)
1980–1985 Yankee Conference (1986–1996) CAA Football (2007–2024)[10] [11] [12]
1993 MAAC (1994–2007) Northeast (2008–present)
2015 No football program Southern (2016–present)
1984–1986 Big Sky (1987–present)
1998–2001 Big South (2002) CAA Football (2014–present)
1984–1987 MEAC[13] MEAC (1988–2003, 2005–2020) SWAC (2021–present)
2004 MEAC[14] MEAC (2005–2020) SWAC (2021–present)
2002–2004 FIU No football program Sun Belt (2005–2012) CUSA (2013–present)
2001–2004 Florida Atlantic No football program Sun Belt (2005–2012) The American (2023–present)
1989 Patriot League (1990–present)
2000 Patriot League (2001–present)
1984–1991 Georgia Southern Club football Southern (1992–2013) Sun Belt (2014–present)
2010–2011 Georgia State No football program CAA Football (2012) Sun Belt (2013–present)
2018 Big South (2019–2021) CAA Football (2022–present)
1991–2000 Division III Independent Atlantic 10 (2001–2006) Dropped football
1982–1985 Patriot League (1986–present)
2013 No football program Southland (2014–present)
2008 MAAC (1993–2007)Dropped football
2013 Lone Star (Div. II) Southland (2014–present)
1982–1985 MVFC (1997–present)[15]
1998–2000 No football program Pioneer Football League (2001–2019) Dropped football
1980–1992 Yankee Conference (1993–1996) Sun Belt (2022–present)
2023 CUSA (2024–future)
1978–1985 Patriot League (1986–present)
1987–1989 Dropped program (1989–2009)[16]
2010 No football program Southland (2011–2020) Southland (2022–present)[17]
1997–1998 No football program (1942–1996) MAAC (1999–2007) Dropped football
1978–1985 Patriot League (1986–present)
1988–2001 Liberty Big South (2002–2017)[18] CUSA (2023–present)[19] [20]
1987–1988 Louisiana Tech Division I-A Independent (1989–1992) CUSA (2013–present)
1993 MAAC (1994–2007)
2008 MAAC Pioneer Football League (2009–present)
1993–1995 No football program Northeast (1996–2012) CAA Football (2022–present)
2013 Northeast Big South (2014–2021)
1996–2000 Pioneer Football League (2001–present)
2001–2002 Dropped football
1978 Nevada Big Sky (1979–1991) Mountain West (2012–present)
1980–1983 Gulf Star (1984–1986) Southland (1992–present)
1987–1990 Gulf Star Southland (1991–present)
2018 Gulf South (Div. II) Big South (2019–2021) UAC (2023–present)
2018–2019 MVFC (2020–present)
1978–1992 Yankee (1993–1996) Dropped football (2010)
2003 Great West (2004–2005) Big Sky (2006–present)
1978–1983 Gulf Star (1984–1986) Southland (1987–present)
2009–2010 Old Dominion No football program CAA Football (2011–2012)
2013 CAA Football CUSA (2014–2021) Sun Belt (2022–present)
1978–1980 Division II Independent (1981) Big Sky (1996–present)
2020 Pioneer Football League (2021–present)
1982–1985 Yankee Conference (1986–1996) CAA Football (2007–present)
1994–1995 No football program Northeast (1996–2019) Northeast (2024–future)
1993–1995 Northeast (1996–present)
1989–2002 Ohio Valley (2003–2007) Southern (2008–present)
2002–2009 MEAC (2010–2018) SIAC (Div. II; 2019–present)
2011 South Alabama Unclassified (exhibition only) Sun Belt (2012–present)[21]
1997–2000 South Florida No football program Division I-A Independent (2001–2002) American (2013–present)[22]
1980–1983 Gulf Star (1984–1985) Southland (2005–present)
2003–2004 No football program[23] Southland (2005–present)
1996–2003 Great West (2004–2011) UAC (2023–present)
1998–1999 Northeast (2000–2002) Dropped football (2003)
1993–2003 Dropped football (2004)
2007 Big South (2008–2012) CAA Football (2013–present)
2020 Lone Star (Division II) WAC (2021–2022) UAC (2023–present)
1981–1987 Ohio Valley (1988–2022) Big South–OVC (2023–present)
1987–1996 Patriot League (1997–2003) CAA Football (2007–present)[24]
1993–1995 Troy Southland (1996–2000)
2001 Southland Division I-A Independent (2002–2003) Sun Belt (2004–present)[25]
1993–1995 UAB Division I-A Independent (1996–1998) American (2023–present)
1990–1995 UCF Division I-A Independent (1996–2001) Big 12 (2023–present)[26]
2020 RMAC (Division II) WAC (2021–2022) UAC (2023–present)
2011 UTSA No football program WAC (2012) American (2023–present)
1987 No football program Yankee Conference (1988–1996) CAA Football (2007–present)
1993–1995 Northeast (1996–present)
1982–1998 Western Kentucky Ohio Valley (1999–2000)
2007–2008 Sun Belt (2009–2013) CUSA (2014–present)
1982–1992 Yankee Conference (1993–1996) CAA Football (2007–present)
1995–1996 Southern (1997–present)
2006 MEAC (2007–2009) CIAA (Div. II) (2010–present)
1988–1996 Youngstown StateMVFC (1997–present)

See also

Notes and References

  1. Five Home Games Highlight 2024 SHU Football Schedule . Sacred Heart Pioneers . February 5, 2024 . February 8, 2024 . The Pioneers, in their first season as an FCS Independent, begin 2024 with three straight home games, including the opener against Delaware State on Aug. 31..
  2. Web site: 2024-02-08 . Football Releases 2024 Schedule . 2024-03-09 . Merrimack College Athletics . en.
  3. ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands as the United Athletic Conference . Western Athletic Conference . April 17, 2023 . April 21, 2023.
  4. Arkansas State has been a full Sun Belt member since 1991, but the conference did not sponsor football until 2001.
  5. Austin Peay only departed OVC football; it remained a full but non-football member before returning to OVC football in 2007.
  6. The conference now known as the Patriot League began in 1986 as the football-only Colonial League. It adopted its current name in 1990, when it became an all-sports conference.
  7. Buffalo became a full member of the MAC in 1998, but was not a football member until 1999.
  8. The Great West Conference began in 2004 as the Great West Football Conference. It became an all-sports conference in 2008.
  9. American Announces Entrance Agreements With Incoming Members for 2023-24 Season . American Athletic Conference . June 16, 2022 . June 16, 2022.
  10. Delaware has been a full member of the Coastal Athletic Association since 2001 (when that conference was known as the Colonial Athletic Association). However, the CAA did not sponsor football until 2007, when it effectively took over the football league previously sponsored by the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), establishing the separate entity of CAA Football to govern that sport.
  11. CAA Football is the direct successor of both the Yankee Conference and A-10 football conference. The football-only Yankee Conference was absorbed by the A-10 after the 1996 season. After the 2006 season, the A-10 dropped football after all of its football members joined the newly formed CAA Football. The Yankee Conference's automatic bid to the I-AA/FCS playoffs passed in succession to the A-10 and CAA Football.
  12. Delaware will begin a transition to FBS in 2024 and join Conference USA in 2025.
  13. Florida A&M was a member of the MEAC in 1986 & 1987, but games played did not count as conference games.
  14. Florida A&M was a member of the MEAC in 2004, but games played did not count as conference games
  15. The MVFC did not adopt its current name until 2008. Before then, it was known as the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (1982–1993) and Gateway Football Conference (1993–2008).
  16. Web site: Lamar Football 2012 Info Guide. Lamar University Department of Athletics. March 30, 2015. 101.
  17. Lamar University Prepares for Early Move to Southland Conference . Southland Conference . July 11, 2022 . July 12, 2022.
  18. Liberty became a full member of the Big South in 1991, remaining a member until joining the non-football ASUN Conference in 2018, but the Big South did not sponsor football until 2002.
  19. Liberty began a transition to FBS in the 2017 season, and became a full FBS member in 2019.
  20. Conference USA Adds Four Members . Conference USA . November 5, 2021 . November 5, 2021.
  21. South Alabama has been a Sun Belt member from the conference's creation in 1976. However, the Sun Belt did not sponsor football until 2001. South Alabama did not start a football program until 2009, and did not play Sun Belt football until 2012.
  22. The original Big East Conference split into the football-sponsoring American Athletic Conference and a new non-football Big East Conference in 2013. South Florida remained with the FBS schools in The American.
  23. Southeastern Louisiana dropped football after the 1985 season.
  24. Towson was a CAA member at the conference's formation in 1979, but left in 1981; after having been a member of four other conferences, it rejoined the CAA in 2001. However, the CAA did not sponsor football until 2007, when it effectively took over the football league previously sponsored by the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10), establishing the separate entity of CAA Football to govern that sport.
  25. Troy joined the Sun Belt for football in 2004, and became an all-sports member in 2005.
  26. American Announces Agreements With UCF, Cincinnati and Houston on Departure . American Athletic Conference . June 10, 2022 . June 10, 2022.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "NCAA Division I FCS independent schools".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.