3 independent schools that have won college football national championships ft. Notre Dame, Miami and more

Notre Dame will look to win its first national championship since 1988 and the first independent school to take the crown since 1989. To do that, they will have to take down the Ohio State Buckeyes in the national championship game on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

While it's common for most teams to belong to a football conference now, that wasn’t always the case. In fact, programs that are now an integral part of Power Four conferences had some success in the 1980s as independent schools.

3 independent schools that have won college football national championships

The college football landscape has changed dramatically in the last couple of decades. Conference realignment, TV deals, NIL and the transfer portal have shaped the game in a way that it’s almost unfathomable for independent teams to compete with the top programs.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s lucrative television deal, merchandising, history and tradition allow the school to remain independent by choice. The only other independent schools in FBS in 2024 were UConn and UMass, but the Minutemen will be joining the Mid-American Conference in 2025.

It wasn’t always like that. These are the three programs that have won national championships as independent schools since 1978 when Division I was divided into I-A and I-AA.

Penn State and Miami won national championships as independent programs. - Source: Imagn

Penn State Nittany Lions

This might not fit James Franklin’s “Notre Dame needs to join a conference” narrative, but the Nittany Lions haven’t won a national title as part of the Big Ten. Both of Joe Paterno’s championships (1982 and 1986) came before Penn State joined the Big Ten.

In 1982, Paterno’s Nittany Lions beat Georgia 27-23 in the Sugar Bowl to win their first national title. Four years later, Penn State beat another top independent school, shutting down Miami's offense in a 14-10 win at the Fiesta Bowl to claim their last title to date. The Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993.

Miami Hurricanes

The last independent school to win a national championship wasn’t Notre Dame, it was Miami. The Hurricanes won in 1983, 1987 and 1989 as an independent. In 1991, they joined the Big East and earned a share of the national title as well.

Miami was the dominant team of the '80s. In 1983, it won its first championship by defeating top-ranked Nebraska 31-30 at the Orange Bowl in one of the most influential games in college football history. Four years later, the Canes beat Oklahoma 20-14 in the Orange Bowl to clinch their second national title.

They ended the decade with their third title. “The U,” ranked second in the nation, beat No. 7 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Ironically, rival Notre Dame, ranked No.4 in the nation, beat top-ranked Colorado in the Orange Bowl to give Miami the title.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The only still-independent team to win a national title, the Fighting Irish have been independent throughout their history, playing only the 2020 season in the ACC because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Irish have claimed 11 national championships but only one since 1977. It came in 1988, when they defeated No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl 24-21.

Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish will be looking to update the list by beating Ohio State.