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 | Division I Independent | Western Athletic Conference (1980-1998) | Mountain West Conference (1999–present) |
| 1987–1991 | Akron | Ohio Valley Conference | Mid-American Conference (1992–present) | |
| 1996–1998 | Alabama-Birmingham | Division I-AA Independent | Conference USA (1999–present) | |
| 1992 | Arkansas State | Division I-AA Independent | Big West Conference (1993–1995) | |
| 1996–1998 | Big West Conference (1993–1995) | Big West Conference (1999–2000) | Sun Belt Conference (2001–present) | |
| 1978–1997 | Army | Division I Independent | Conference USA (1998–2004) | |
| 2005–present | Conference USA (1998–2004) | |||
| 1978–1990 | Boston College | Division I Independent | Big East Conference (1991–2004) | Atlantic Coast Conference (2005–present) |
| 2011–present | BYU | Mountain West Conference (1999–2010) | ||
| 1992 | Cal State Fullerton | 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 | Division I Independent | Conference USA (1996–2004) | Big East Conference (2005–present) |
| 1978–1981 | Colgate | Division I Independent | Division I-AA Independent (1982–1985) | Patriot League (1986–present) |
| 2000–2003 | Connecticut | Atlantic 10 Conference | Big East Conference (2004–present) | |
| 1978–1996 | East Carolina | Division I Independent | Conference USA (1997–present) | |
| 1978–1991 | Florida State | Division I Independent | Atlantic Coast Conference (1992–present) | |
| 1978 | Georgia Tech | Division I Independent | Atlantic Coast Conference (1979–present) | |
| 1978 | Hawaiʻi | Division I Independent | Western Athletic Conference (1979–2011) | Mountain West Conference (2012–Present) |
| 1978–1981 | Holy Cross | Division I Independent | Division I-AA Independent (1982–1985) | Patriot League (1986–present) |
| 1978–1980 | Illinois State | Division I Independent | Missouri Valley Conference (1981–1984) | Missouri Valley Football Conference (1985–present) |
| 1978–1981 | Indiana State | Division I Independent | Division I-AA Independent (1982–1985) | Missouri Valley Football Conference (1986–present) |
| 1991 | Long Beach State | Big West Conference | Dropped football | |
| 1989–1992 | Louisiana Tech | 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 | Southland Conference | 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 | Division I Independent | Conference USA (1996–2004) | Big East Conference (2005–present) |
| 1978–1995 | Memphis | Division I Independent | Conference USA (1996–present) | |
| 1978–1990 | Miami (FL) | Division I Independent | Big East Conference (1991–2003) | Atlantic Coast Conference (2004–present) |
| 1999–2000 | Middle Tennessee | Ohio Valley Conference | Sun Belt Conference (2001–present) | |
| 1978–present | Navy | Division I Independent | ||
| 1978–1982 | North Texas | 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 | Mid-American Conference | Big West Conference (1993–1995) | |
| 1996 | Big West Conference (1993–1995) | Mid-American Conference (1997–present) | ||
| 1978–present | Notre Dame | Division I Independent | ||
| 1978–1992 | Penn State | Division I Independent | Big Ten Conference (1993–present) | |
| 1978–1990 | Pittsburgh | Division I Independent | Big East Conference (1991–present) | |
| 1978–1981 | Richmond | Division I Independent | Division I-AA Independent (1982–1983) | Colonial Athletic Association (1984–present) |
| 1978–1990 | Rutgers | Division I Independent | Big East Conference (1991–present) | |
| 1978–1991 | South Carolina | Division I Independent | Southeastern Conference (1992–present) | |
| 2001–2002 | South Florida | Division I-AA Independent | Conference USA (2003–2004) | Big East Conference (2005–present) |
| 1978–1995 | Southern Mississippi | Division I Independent | Conference USA (1996–present) | |
| 1978–1990 | Syracuse | Division I Independent | Big East Conference (1991–present) | |
| 1978–1990 | Temple | Division I Independent | Big East Conference (1991–2004) | |
| 2005–2006 | Big East Conference (1991–2004) | Mid-American Conference (2007–2011) | Big East Conference (2012–present) | |
| 1978–1980 | Tennessee State | Division I Independent | Division I-AA Independent (1981–1987) | Ohio Valley Conference (1988–present) |
| 2002–2003 | Troy | Division I-AA Independent | Sun Belt Conference (2004–present) | |
| 1978–1995 | Tulane | Division I Independent | Conference USA (1996–present) | |
| 1986–1995 | Tulsa | Missouri Valley Conference | Western Athletic Conference (1996–2004) | Conference USA (2005–present) |
| 1978–1981 | UNLV | Division II Independent | Big West Conference (1982–1995) | Mountain West Conference (1999–present) |
| 2001–2002 | Utah State | Big West Conference | Sun Belt Conference (2003–2004) | Western Athletic Conference (2005–present) |
| 1978–1980 | Villanova | Division I Independent | Dropped Football | Colonial Athletic Association (1985–present) |
| 1978–1990 | Virginia Tech | Division I Independent | Big East Conference (1991–2003) | Atlantic Coast Conference (2004–present) |
| 1978–1990 | West Virginia | Division I Independent | Big East Conference (1991–2011) | Big 12 Conference (2012–present) |
| 2008 | WKU | Gateway Football Conference | Sun Belt Conference (2009–present) | |
| 1986 | Wichita State | Missouri Valley Conference | Dropped football | |
| 1978–1981 | William & Mary | Division I Independent | Division I-AA Independent (1982–1992) | Colonial Athletic Association (1993–present) |
Read more about this topic: NCAA Division I FBS Independent Schools
Famous quotes containing the word teams:
“A sturdy lad from New Hampshire or Vermont who in turn tries all the professions, who teams it, farms it, peddles, keeps a school, preaches, edits a newspaper, goes to Congress, buys a township, and so forth, in successive years, and always like a cat falls on his feet, is worth a hundred of these city dolls. He walks abreast with his days and feels no shame in not “studying a profession,” for he does not postpone his life, but lives already.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)