NCAA Division I independent schools

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In American college sports, NCAA Division I independent schools are four-year institutions that do not belong to a conference for a particular sport.

Beach volleyball[]

Beach volleyball, currently a women-only sport at the NCAA level, holds a single national championship open to members of all three NCAA divisions. As of the 2022 season (2021–22 school year), affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the following programs compete as independents.

Institution Team Location Founded Type Enrollment Primary conference
Abilene Christian University Wildcats Abilene, Texas 1906 Private 5,334[1] Western Athletic Conference
Berry College Vikings Mount Berry, Georgia 1902 Private 1,900 Southern Athletic Association (Division III)
Boise State University Broncos Boise, Idaho 1932 Public 25,540 Mountain West Conference
California State University, Los Angeles
(Cal State Los Angeles)		 Golden Eagles Los Angeles, California 1947 Public 27,685 California Collegiate Athletic Association (Division II)
Carson–Newman University Eagles Johnson City, Tennessee 1851 Private 2,115 South Atlantic Conference (Division II)
Colorado Mesa University Mavericks Grand Junction, Colorado 1925 Public 11,000 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (Division II)
Concordia University Irvine
(Concordia–Irvine)		 Golden Eagles Irvine, California 1976 Private 2,564 Pacific West Conference (Division II)
Eckerd College Tritons St. Petersburg, Florida 1958 Private 1,650 Sunshine State Conference (Division II)
Erskine College Flying Fleet Due West, South Carolina 1839 Private 920 Conference Carolinas (Division II)
Florida Southern College Moccasins Lakeland, Florida 1883 Private 2,185 Sunshine State Conference (Division II)
Grand Canyon University Antelopes Phoenix, Arizona 1949 Private 19,500 Western Athletic Conference
Hendrix College Warriors Conway, Arkansas 1876 Private 1,400 Southern Athletic Association (Division III)
Huntingdon College Hawks Montgomery, Alabama 1854 Private 900 USA South Athletic Conference (Division III)
LaGrange College Panthers LaGrange, Georgia 1831 Private 1,100 Southern Athletic Association (Division III)
Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters Harrogate, Tennessee 1897 Private 2,579 South Atlantic Conference (Division II)
University of Mary Hardin–Baylor Crusaders Belton, Texas 1845 Private 2,700 American Southwest Conference (Division III)
Mississippi State University Bulldogs Mississippi State, Mississippi 1878 Public 21,884 Southeastern Conference
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
(Nebraska)		 Cornhuskers Lincoln, Nebraska 1869 Public 33,273 Big Ten Conference
Saint Leo University Lions St. Leo, Florida 1889 Private 2,235 Sunshine State Conference (Division II)
San Jose State University Spartans San Jose, California 1857 Public 33,409 Mountain West Conference
Spring Hill College Badgers Mobile, Alabama 1830 Private 1,439 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division II)
Stephen F. Austin State University Ladyjacks Nacogdoches, Texas 1923 Public 11,946[2] Western Athletic Conference
Stevenson University Mustangs Stevenson, Maryland 1947 Private 3,621 MAC Commonwealth (Division III)
University of Tampa Spartans Tampa, Florida 1931 Private 7,600 Sunshine State Conference (Division II)
Texas A&M University–Kingsville Javelinas Kingsville, Texas 1925 Public 8,783 Lone Star Conference (Division II)
Tusculum University Pioneers Tusculum, Tennessee 1794 Private 2,053 South Atlantic Conference (Division II)

Bowling[]

Bowling, like beach volleyball, is currently a women-only sport at the NCAA level that holds a single national championship open to all NCAA members. As of the 2021–22 season, 13 bowling programs compete as independents.

Institution Team Location Founded Type Enrollment Primary conference
Adrian College Bulldogs Adrian, Michigan 1859 Private 1,671 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (Division III)
Alma College Scots Alma, Michigan 1886 Private 1,400 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (Division III)
Belmont Abbey College Crusaders Belmont, North Carolina 1876 Private 1,320 Conference Carolinas (Division II)
Chestnut Hill College Griffins Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1924 Private 2,301 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (Division II)
Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers Owensboro, Kentucky 1858 Private 785 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (Division II)
University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska) Cornhuskers Lincoln, Nebraska 1869 Public 25,260 Big Ten Conference (Division I)
Post University Eagles Waterbury, Connecticut 1890 Private 7,317 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (Division II)
Sam Houston State University (Sam Houston) Bearkats Huntsville, Texas 1879 Public 21,879 Western Athletic Conference
(Conference USA in 2023)[3]
Stephen F. Austin State University (Stephen F. Austin) Ladyjacks Nacogdoches, Texas 1923 Public 11,946 Western Athletic Conference
Ursuline College Arrows Pepper Pike, Ohio 1871 Private 1,136 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (Division II)
Walsh University Cavaliers North Canton, Ohio 1960 Private 2,766 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (Division II)
Wilmington University Eagles New Castle, Delaware 1968 Private 20,522 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (Division II)
University of Wisconsin–Whitewater Warhawks Whitewater, Wisconsin 1868 Public 11,722 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Division III)

Field hockey[]

As of the upcoming 2022 season, there is one Division I independent in field hockey. The only school that will compete as an independent in that season, barring a conference move, is James Madison, which is scheduled to leave the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) at the end of June that year, after it was barred from the CAA's remaining championship events. The 2022 season is to be James Madison's first season as a full Sun Belt Conference member not in that sport, as it has been timed to join this conference that July.[4][5] JMU will be one of three Sun Belt members to sponsor the sport, the others being current member Appalachian State and fellow future member Old Dominion. Those schools respectively play field hockey in the Mid-American Conference and Big East Conference.

Football[]

Football Bowl Subdivision[]

Further information: NCAA Division I FBS independent schools

As of the coming 2022 college football season, there are seven NCAA Division I FBS independent schools. Three of these schools will join FBS conferences in the near future.

Institution Founded Nickname First season Location Type Enrollment Primary conference
United States Military Academy
(Army) 		1802 Black Knights 1890 West Point, New York Federal 4,294 Patriot League
Brigham Young University (BYU) 1875 Cougars 1922 Provo, Utah Private 29,672 West Coast Conference
(Big 12 Conference in 2023)[6]
Liberty University 1971 Flames 1973 Lynchburg, Virginia Private 15,000[a] ASUN Conference
(Conference USA in 2023)[3]
New Mexico State University 1888 Aggies 1893 Las Cruces, New Mexico Public 18,497 Western Athletic Conference
(Conference USA in 2023)[3]
University of Notre Dame 1842 Fighting Irish 1887 Notre Dame, Indiana Private 12,179 Atlantic Coast Conference
[b]
University of Connecticut (UConn) 1881 Huskies 1896 Storrs, Connecticut[c] Public 32,257 Big East Conference
University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) 1863 Minutemen 1879 Amherst, Massachusetts Public 29,269 Atlantic 10 Conference
Notes
  1. ^ Does not include roughly 90,000 students enrolled in online programs.
  2. ^ Notre Dame remains officially an independent football team, and is not a member of the ACC in any capacity for football. 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.[7]
  3. ^ While the UConn campus is in Storrs, the Huskies play home games in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Football Championship Subdivision[]

Further information: NCAA Division I FCS independent schools

As of the 2022 season, no school plays as FCS independents.

Golf[]

As of the 2021–22 season, no men's or women's golf team competes as a Division I independent. Four schools had competed as such in 2020–21—Francis Marion in men's golf, and Augusta, Delaware State, and Maryland Eastern Shore in women's golf. Augusta and Francis Marion are Division II members that compete in Division I golf, with Augusta doing so for both men and women and Francis Marion for men only. All four teams became associate members of the Southland Conference in July 2021, with Augusta also joining that league in men's golf.[8][9]

Ice hockey[]

Further information: NCAA Division I independent schools (ice hockey)

Men[]

There are currently three NCAA Division I independents in men's ice hockey—the University of Alaska Fairbanks (branded athletically as simply "Alaska"), Arizona State University, and Long Island University (LIU).

Alaska became a men's independent after the 2020–21 season due to the demise of its former league, the men's side of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (the WCHA remains in operation as a women-only league). The seven Midwestern members of the men's WCHA left to reestablish the Central Collegiate Hockey Association without the WCHA's three geographic outliers—Alaska, its sister campus in Anchorage, and Alabama–Huntsville. Of these three schools, Alaska was the only one that did not drop hockey.[10]

Arizona State moved up from club hockey in the ACHA to full varsity status. The Sun Devils began playing a full Division I schedule in 2016–17, and expected to be in a hockey conference for 2017–18, but no conference move has yet materialized. With the 2020–21 season dramatically impacted by COVID-19, ASU entered into a scheduling agreement with the Big Ten Conference for that season, with the Sun Devils playing a road-only schedule of four games against each of the seven Big Ten hockey members.[11]

LIU announced in late April 2020 that it would launch varsity men's hockey for the 2020–21 season. The Sharks have yet to announce a conference home, but played their first season as a scheduling partner of Atlantic Hockey.[12]

Institution Team Location Founded Type Enrollment Years Primary conference
University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks Fairbanks, Alaska 1917 Public 8,336 2021–present Great Northwest Athletic Conference
(Division II)
Arizona State University Sun Devils[13] Tempe, Arizona 1885 Public 50,246 2015–present Pac-12 Conference
Long Island University Sharks[14] Brooklyn and Brookville, New York[a] 1926 Private 15,197 2020–present Northeast Conference
  1. ^ The current LIU athletic program was created in 2019 with the merger of the athletic programs of the university's two main campuses—the Brooklyn campus, which had been a Division I member, and the Post campus in Brookville, which had competed in Division II. The merged program inherited Brooklyn's Division I membership. The team is open to undergraduate men at both campuses who meet NCAA eligibility requirements.

Women[]

No women's ice hockey teams have played as independents at the National Collegiate level, the de facto equivalent to Division I in that sport, since the 2018–19 season. In that season, five schools—Franklin Pierce, Post, Sacred Heart, Saint Anselm, and Saint Michael's—competed as independents, all participating in the nascent New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA), which had originally been established in 2017 as a scheduling alliance among all of the then-current National Collegiate independents. The NEWHA initially included six schools, but Holy Cross left after the inaugural 2017–18 NEWHA season to join Hockey East. The NEWHA officially organized as a conference in advance of the 2018–19 season,[15] but was not officially recognized by the NCAA as a Division I league until the 2019–20 season, by which time the newly launched LIU program had joined to return the conference membership to six.[16]

Lacrosse[]

See also: NCAA independent schools (lacrosse)

Men[]

No teams are playing as independents in the upcoming 2022 season. Four schools had planned to play the 2021 season as such, and three did so despite COVID-19 issues. Hampton chose not to play due to pandemic concerns.[17]

All four schools joined lacrosse conferences for the 2022 season and beyond. Cleveland State, Robert Morris, and Utah joined the new men's lacrosse league of the ASUN Conference,[18] and Hampton joined Southern Conference men's lacrosse.[19]

Women's[]

There have been no independent teams in Division I women's lacrosse since the 2018 season (2017–18 school year). The only independent team in that season was East Carolina, which played its first season of varsity lacrosse as such before its all-sports league, the American Athletic Conference, launched a women's lacrosse league for 2019.

The next school to compete as an independent will be Xavier, which will play its inaugural season of 2023 as such before beginning full conference play in its full-time home of the Big East Conference in 2024.[20]

Future independent
Institution Location Nickname Affiliation Enrollment Season(s) as independent
Xavier University Cincinnati, Ohio Musketeers Private 7,127 2023

Soccer[]

Men[]

There will be at least one men's soccer independent in the 2022 season, James Madison University, an outgoing full member of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Sun Belt Conference announced in early November 2021 that James Madison would join it effective July 1, 2022.[4][21] Because this announcement took place while the 2021–22 season was in progress, the CAA invoked its bylaws and declared that James Madison could no longer compete for the conference's remaining championships in that season.[5] Due to James Madison's impending departure from the CAA on June 30, the university will compete as a Sun Belt member in 2022–23, housing all of its sports except men's soccer in that conference.[4]

Institution Team Location Founded Type Enrollment Primary conference
James Madison University Dukes Harrisonburg, Virginia 1908 Public 21,494 Sun Belt Conference
Marshall University Thundering Herd Huntington, West Virginia 1837 11,900[22]
Old Dominion University Monarchs Norfolk, Virginia 1930 24,286[23]

After Marshall was formally introduced as an incoming Sun Belt member later in November 2021, however, the conference also announced that it would reinstate men's soccer for the 2023 season.[24] Later, Marshall intended to join, and the returning Old Dominion planned to rejoin, the Sun Belt at the same time as the other new member James Madison also that July.[25]

Women[]

Two schools are independents in the coming 2022 women's soccer season. The most recent departure from the independent ranks was Hampton University, which joined the Big South Conference, which sponsors women's soccer, in 2018.[26]

Institution Team Location Founded Type Enrollment Primary conference
Delaware State University Hornets Dover, Delaware 1891 Public 3,400 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
South Carolina State University Lady Bulldogs Orangeburg, South Carolina 1896 Public 3,000 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Men's volleyball[]

Men's volleyball has a truncated divisional structure in which members of both Division I and Division II compete under identical scholarship limits for a single national championship. In the current 2022 season, 14 men's volleyball programs, all but two of which are Division II members, intend to compete as independents, although some may not do so due to COVID-19 concerns.

D'Youville, currently reclassifying from Division III to Division II, is highlighted in yellow. Fairleigh Dickinson and LIU will leave the independent ranks after the 2022 season when their full-time home of the Northeast Conference begins sponsoring men's volleyball; they are highlighted in pink.

Institution Team Location Founded Type Enrollment Primary conference
Alderson Broaddus University Battlers Philippi, West Virginia 1871 Private 1,052 Mountain East Conference
American International College Yellow Jackets Springfield, Massachusetts 1885 Private 1,723 Northeast-10 Conference
Daemen College Wildcats Amherst, New York 1947 Private 3,005 East Coast Conference
D'Youville College Saints Buffalo, New York 1946 Private 2,900 East Coast Conference
Fairleigh Dickinson University (D-I) Knights Teaneck, New Jersey 1942 Private 8,590 Northeast Conference
Limestone University Saints Gaffney, South Carolina 1845 Private 3,300 South Atlantic Conference
Lincoln Memorial University Railsplitters Harrogate, Tennessee 1897 Private 2,579 South Atlantic Conference
Long Island University (LIU) (D-I) Sharks Brooklyn, New York[a] 1926 Private 15,197 Northeast Conference
Maryville University Saints Town and Country, Missouri 1872 Private 3,500 Great Lakes Valley Conference
University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón Cowboys Bayamón, Puerto Rico 1971 Public 5,014 Independent[b]
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Tarzans Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 1911 Public 13,146 Independent[b]
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus Gallitos San Juan, Puerto Rico 1903 Public 18,653 Independent[b]
Queens University of Charlotte Royals Charlotte, North Carolina 1857 Private 2,100 South Atlantic Conference
Tusculum University Pioneers Tusculum, Tennessee 1794 Private 2,053 South Atlantic Conference
  1. ^ LIU has two primary campuses, one in Brooklyn and the other in Brookville, New York; all LIU sports are open to undergraduates at both campuses who meet NCAA eligibility requirements. Men's volleyball operates from Brooklyn.
  2. ^ a b c While no member of the University of Puerto Rico system is part of a recognized NCAA conference, all are members of Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico, which governs college sports competitions in both Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Wrestling[]

The only Division I wrestling independent in the ongoing 2021–22 season (subject to COVID-19 restrictions) is California Baptist, which started a transition from Division II in July 2018 and is thus highlighted in yellow. Once CBU completes its transition to D-I in July 2022, the wrestling team will become a single-sport member of the Big 12 Conference.

Institution Team Location Founded Type Enrollment Primary conference
California Baptist University Lancers Riverside, California 1950 Private 11,317 Western Athletic Conference

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "ACU achieves record enrollment for fourth year in a row". Abilene Christian University. September 8, 2021.
  2. ^ "SFA reports fall enrollment numbers". Stephen F. Austin State University. September 10, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Conference USA Adds Four Members" (Press release). Conference USA. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "James Madison to Compete in Sun Belt Conference in 2022-2023" (Press release). James Madison University Athletics. February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "James Madison Withdraws As A Member Of The Colonial Athletic Association". Colonial Athletic Association. November 6, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  6. ^ "Big 12 Extends Membership Invitations". Big 12 Conference. September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "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. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  8. ^ "Southland Conference Adds Men's & Women's Golf Affiliate Members" (Press release). Southland Conference. June 24, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  9. ^ "Southland Adds Maryland Eastern Shore as Women's Golf Affiliate Member" (Press release). Southland Conference. August 11, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  10. ^ Christensen, Joe (July 2, 2021). "WCHA's men's hockey era officially ends after 70 years". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  11. ^ "ASU/Big Ten Agree to Schedule Arrangement for 2020-21" (Press release). Arizona State Sun Devils. October 6, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  12. ^ "Men's Hockey Announced as Atlantic Hockey Scheduling Partner" (Press release). LIU Sharks. October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  13. ^ "Sun Devil Athletics Announces Addition of Men's Ice Hockey as NCAA Sport" (Press release). Arizona State Athletics. November 18, 2014. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  14. ^ "LIU Announces Addition of Men's Ice Hockey" (Press release). LIU Sharks. April 30, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  15. ^ "NEWHA announces intent to be recognized as NCAA national collegiate women's hockey conference". USCHO.com. September 26, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  16. ^ "New England Women's Hockey Alliance approved for NCAA Division I status, effective with '19-20 season". USCHO.com. September 4, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  17. ^ "Hampton Suspends 2021 Spring Seasons" (Press release). Hampton Pirates. October 30, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  18. ^ "ASUN Conference Announces Formation of Men's Lacrosse League" (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  19. ^ "Hampton joining SoCon as associate member for men's lacrosse" (Press release). Southern Conference. February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  20. ^ "Xavier Athletics Announces the Addition of Women's Lacrosse" (Press release). Xavier Musketeers. May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  21. ^ "James Madison Joins Sun Belt Conference" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. November 6, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  22. ^ "Quick Facts". Marshall University. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  23. ^ "University Facts & Figures". Old Dominion University. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  24. ^ Traylor, Grant (November 1, 2021). "Sun Belt confirms men's soccer being reinstated". The Herald-Dispatch. Huntington, WV. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  25. ^ Rittenberg, Adam (February 11, 2022). "Sun Belt-bound Marshall, Old Dominion, Southern Miss announce plans to depart Conference USA in June". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  26. ^ "Big South Adds Hampton University as Full Member" (Press release). Big South Conference. November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
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