NCAA Division I independent schools are four-year institutions that compete in college athletics at the NCAA Division I level, but do not belong to an established athletic conference for a particular sport. These schools may however still compete as members of an athletic conference in other sports. A school may also be fully independent, and not belong to any athletic conference for any sport at all. The reason for independent status varies among institutions, but it is frequently because the school's primary athletic conference does not sponsor a particular sport.
No schools are competing as full independents for the 2024–25 season. The most recent full independent, Chicago State, joined the Northeast Conference (NEC) after the conclusion of the 2023–24 season.[1]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Colors | Current conference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago State University | Chicago, Illinois | 1867 | Public | [2] | Cougars | 1984; 2006; 2022 | 1993; 2009; 2024 | Northeast (NEC) | ||
| West Hartford, Connecticut | 1877 | Nonsectarian | 6,792 | Hawks | 2022 | 2023 | Conf. of New England (CNE) | |||
(NJIT) | Newark, New Jersey | 1881 | Public | 11,901 | Highlanders | 2006; 2013 | 2008; 2015 | America East |
One school will be competing as an independent in baseball for the 2025 season (2024–25 academic year). Oregon State announced that they would be competing as a baseball independent after their home conference, the Pac-12, collapsed following the 2023–24 season.[3]