About the Independents

A few FBS schools play without a football conference. Notre Dame is the best known; UConn also plays as an independent.

Independents football schools in 2026

• Notre Dame
• UConn

What our game guides cover

For each ranked game, our guides cover kickoff time and TV (TBA until announced), the stadium and its bag and entry rules, parking and getting there, tailgating, where to eat nearby, and the gear worth packing. We link to official school pages so you can double-check the latest rules before you go.

Planning a trip to a road game

Heading to a Independents stadium for the first time? Buy tickets from the school’s official ticket office or a trusted resale site, and book a hotel early for big games, since rooms near campus fill fast. Most stadiums now use mobile tickets and a clear-bag policy, so load your tickets before you leave and check the bag size rules. Plan to arrive early: lots open hours before kickoff, and traffic gets heavy near game time. Bring sunscreen for day games, layers for night games late in the season, and a portable charger so your phone lasts through the fourth quarter.

Kickoff times and TV for many games are set only 6 to 12 days ahead, so you will see TBA on some games until the networks announce them. We check again midweek and update the guides.

Independents game guides this week

• No. 1 Miami at No. 4 Notre Dame (Sat, Nov. 7, 7:30 PM ET, NBC/Peacock)

See the full AP Top 25 or browse all conferences.

Independent teams (2)

Sources: AP News (ranks), ACC, UConn Athletics, CollegeFootballSchedule.net.