FBS Independents, at a glance.
Top 10 by power rating — 2026 season, through the latest games.
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VERDICT BEGINS · 2026
FBS Independents
The Last Independent
The 2026 FBS Independents season is underway — Notre Dame holds the early power lead, but the picture is still open.
FBS Independents is a very small affiliation group this season, so its strength is shown with extra regression instead of being treated like a full league ecosystem.
#3overall
#3in FBS
+20.4RR50
+26.9upper strength
2teams
1top-25 teams
Power snapshot
Projected 2026 standing
The Last Independent
Notre Dame is the reason independent football still exists at FBS level. The Irish have refused conference membership for 135+ years, hold a media partnership with the ACC, and reached the national championship game as the #3 seed in the 2025 CFP — beating a conference champion in the semifinals while playing zero conference games. BYU, Army, and most other long-time independents eventually joined conferences. Notre Dame remains the exception that defines the category, and every structural pressure on the format is ultimately a pressure on one program.
1 top-25 team.
The depth argument for this conference rests on how many credible opponents are clustered behind the leader. A wide talent spread separates the haves from the have-nots.
Where things stand right now.
The 2026 FBS Independents season is underway — Notre Dame holds the early power lead, but the picture is still open.
The Only Program That Matters HereNotre Dame Went to the Title Game. Again.
Notre Dame reached the CFP national championship game in January 2026 as a #3 seed without playing a single conference game. They beat a Power Four conference champion in the semifinals. The argument that independence is structurally disadvantaged broke against the reality that Notre Dame keeps making the bracket. Marcus Freeman enters 2026 with the most talented roster in South Bend since the 2012 title run.
Why it matters →The Schedule Question
Can They Build the Same Case in 2026?
Notre Dame's 2026 schedule includes three games against Power Four opponents in the first five weeks. The committee has shown it will reward the Irish for strength of schedule when the record is clean. But one loss in September — to a team ranked 15th, not 5th — ends the top-4 conversation. The margin for error in the independent model is zero.
The Tradition
135 Years of Saying No
Every major independent since 1990 has eventually joined a conference. Penn State in 1993. Florida State in 1992. Miami in 2004. Arkansas went back to the SEC. BYU joined the Big 12. Army joined the AAC. Notre Dame has refused every time, for 135 years, and keeps succeeding. The structural pressure is real. The program's identity is built on resisting it. That tension is college football's longest-running story.
Active arcs our read
Developing1wk ago
Notre Dame Updates Depth Chart for Rice Amid Injury Concerns
Will Notre Dame's injury-depleted roster be enough to secure a win against Rice?
Notre Dame
Developing1wk ago
UConn Dominates Lafayette in Jason Candle's Debut
Can Jason Candle sustain this level of performance throughout the season?
UConn
Developing8wk ago
Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman says he doesn’t see himself ‘coaching anywhere else’
Will Marcus Freeman’s leadership and stability translate into on-field success for Notre Dame?
Notre Dame
Developing4wk ago
UConn Football Unveils New Red Alternate Uniforms Ahead of 2026 Season
Will the new red alternate jerseys become a fan favorite and a staple of UConn's identity?
UConn
Developing3mo ago
Notre Dame faces quarterback uncertainty after Trey Tagliaferri decommits from 2
Can Notre Dame stabilize its quarterback situation after Trey Tagliaferri's decommitment?
Notre Dame
Fan pulse
20% positive
47% neutral
33% negative
Notre Dame
3,927
↓ negative
UConn
326
↓ negative
Standings
2026 season, in progress — sorted by power rating. Stature tag = interim Zeitgeist calibration (medium confidence).
| # | Team | Record | RR50 | Resume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Notre DamePower Program I#7
|
2-0 | +33.1 | +79.0 |
| 2 |
UConnRegional Program IV#114
|
1-1 | +14.1 | +50.6 |
Win projection
Projection will be available when the 2026 schedule is released.
How they play
Six advanced-stat dimensions per team, ranked against all 134 FBS programs, 2026 season. Every column reads higher-is-better. Click a column to sort.
ScoringConvertsBig playsDefensePacePass rate
| Team | Scoring | Converts | Defense | Identity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | +0.39 | 50.6% | +0.13 | Lockdown defense |
| UConn | +0.32 | 40.8% | -0.05 | Big-play offense |
Identity is the single dimension where a team is most above or below the FBS average (pace, defense, big plays, or converting drives) — "Balanced" means nothing stands out either way. CFBD 2026 advanced stats, excludes garbage time.
Top players
FBS Independents's highest CFB Index Scores, 2025 season.
| # | Player | Team | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryun ParhamLB | UConn | #2 of 583 |
| 2 | Leonard MooreCB | Notre Dame | #11 of 364 |
| 3 | Oumar DiomandeLB | UConn | #45 of 583 |
| 4 | Cam ChadwickS | UConn | #31 of 544 |
| 5 | Malachi McLeanS | UConn | #39 of 544 |
| 6 | Camryn EdwardsRB | UConn | #19 of 326 |
| 7 | Christian GrayCB | Notre Dame | #49 of 364 |
| 8 | Tae JohnsonS | Notre Dame | #67 of 544 |
| 9 | Joe FagnanoQB | UConn | #22 of 146 |
| 10 | Antoineo Harris Jr.IDL | UConn | #61 of 330 |
Where FBS Independents stands nationally
Conference strength by RR50 (round-robin adjusted power).
1
SEC
SEC
+22.8
2
B10
Big Ten
+21.7
3
IND
FBS Independents
+20.4
4
P12
Pac-12
+20.2
5
B12
Big 12
+19.5
6
ACC
ACC
+19.2
7
AAC
American Athletic
+17.3
8
SB
Sun Belt
+17.0
9
CUSA
Conference USA
+16.6
10
MAC
Mid-American
+16.2