FBS conference belt

The FBS Independents Belt

A companion lineage restricted to FBS Independents: the belt passes to whoever beats the holder, exactly like the real belt, but only games between two FBS Independents members COUNT — and only for the seasons both sides were actually in FBS Independents at the time. Caught it by beating Massachusetts on November 25, 2023. Defended it 1 more time since. The conference has also been recorded as Pre-classification Independents; those seasons count here too.

142Reigns

680Belt Games

37Programs

Longest Reign

Notre Dame — 14 yrs, 354 days

November 14, 1992 – November 3, 2007

Most Defenses, One Reign

Princeton — 21

starting November 28, 1878

Most Reigns, All-Time

Penn State — 14 separate reigns

37 FBS Independents programs have held it

#	Team	Reign	Length	Def.	Won it	Lost it
1	Rutgers	November 6, 1869 – November 13, 1869	7 days	0	Established it (first game on record)	lost to Princeton
2	Princeton	November 13, 1869 – November 30, 1876	7 yrs, 17 days	9	beat Rutgers 8–0	lost to Yale
3	Yale	November 30, 1876 – November 28, 1878	1 yr, 363 days	3	beat Princeton 2–0	lost to Princeton
4	Princeton	November 28, 1878 – November 18, 1882	3 yrs, 355 days	21	beat Yale 1–0	lost to Harvard
5	Harvard	November 18, 1882 – November 25, 1882	7 days	0	beat Princeton 2–1	lost to Yale
6	Yale	November 25, 1882 – November 21, 1885	2 yrs, 361 days	11	beat Harvard 1–0	lost to Princeton
7	Princeton	November 21, 1885 – November 12, 1887	1 yr, 356 days	12	beat Yale 6–5	lost to Harvard
8	Harvard	November 12, 1887 – November 24, 1887	12 days	1	beat Princeton 12–0	lost to Yale
9	Yale	November 24, 1887 – November 28, 1889	2 yrs, 4 days	9	beat Harvard 17–8	lost to Princeton
10	Princeton	November 28, 1889 – November 27, 1890	364 days	7	beat Yale 10–0	lost to Yale
11	Yale	November 27, 1890 – November 30, 1893	3 yrs, 3 days	11	beat Princeton 32–0	lost to Princeton
12	Princeton	November 30, 1893 – November 10, 1894	345 days	5	beat Yale 6–0	lost to Pennsylvania
13	Pennsylvania	November 10, 1894 – October 24, 1896	1 yr, 349 days	14	beat Princeton 12–0	lost to Lafayette
14	Lafayette	October 24, 1896 – October 23, 1897	364 days	4	beat Pennsylvania 6–4	lost to Pennsylvania
15	Pennsylvania	October 23, 1897 – November 5, 1898	1 yr, 13 days	12	beat Lafayette 46–0	lost to Harvard
16	Harvard	November 5, 1898 – November 24, 1900	2 yrs, 19 days	20	beat Pennsylvania 10–0	lost to Yale
17	Yale	November 24, 1900 – November 23, 1901	364 days	11	beat Harvard 28–0	lost to Harvard
18	Harvard	November 23, 1901 – November 22, 1902	364 days	8	beat Yale 22–0	lost to Yale
19	Yale	November 22, 1902 – November 14, 1903	357 days	8	beat Harvard 23–0	lost to Princeton
20	Princeton	November 14, 1903 – October 15, 1904	336 days	4	beat Yale 11–6	lost to Navy
21	Navy	October 15, 1904 – October 29, 1904	14 days	1	beat Princeton 10–9	lost to Swarthmore
22	Swarthmore	October 29, 1904 – October 7, 1905	343 days	1	beat Navy 9–0	lost to Pennsylvania
23	Pennsylvania	October 7, 1905 – October 13, 1906	1 yr, 6 days	10	beat Swarthmore 11–4	lost to Swarthmore
24	Swarthmore	October 13, 1906 – November 10, 1906	28 days	1	beat Pennsylvania 4–0	lost to Navy
25	Navy	November 10, 1906 – October 19, 1907	343 days	5	beat Swarthmore 5–4	lost to Harvard
26	Harvard	October 19, 1907 – November 9, 1907	21 days	1	beat Navy 6–0	lost to Carlisle
27	Carlisle	November 9, 1907 – November 7, 1908	364 days	5	beat Harvard 23–15	lost to Harvard
28	Harvard	November 7, 1908 – November 20, 1909	1 yr, 13 days	6	beat Carlisle 17–0	lost to Yale
29	Yale	November 20, 1909 – October 15, 1910	329 days	2	beat Harvard 8–0	lost to Army
30	Army	October 15, 1910 – October 29, 1910	14 days	1	beat Yale 9–3	lost to Harvard
31	Harvard	October 29, 1910 – November 4, 1911	1 yr, 6 days	5	beat Army 6–0	lost to Princeton
32	Princeton	November 4, 1911 – November 2, 1912	364 days	6	beat Harvard 8–6	lost to Harvard
33	Harvard	November 2, 1912 – October 23, 1915	2 yrs, 355 days	15	beat Princeton 16–6	lost to Cornell
34	Cornell	October 23, 1915 – October 28, 1916	1 yr, 5 days	4	beat Harvard 10–0	lost to Harvard
35	Harvard	October 28, 1916 – November 18, 1916	21 days	1	beat Cornell 23–0	lost to Brown
36	Brown	November 18, 1916 – November 25, 1916	7 days	0	beat Harvard 21–0	lost to Colgate
37	Colgate	November 25, 1916 – October 27, 1917	336 days	2	beat Brown 28–0	lost to Brown
38	Brown	October 27, 1917 – November 3, 1917	7 days	0	beat Colgate 7–6	lost to Syracuse
39	Syracuse	November 3, 1917 – October 25, 1919	1 yr, 356 days	9	beat Brown 6–0	lost to Washington & Jefferson
40	Washington & Jefferson	October 25, 1919 – November 8, 1919	14 days	0	beat Syracuse 13–0	lost to Pittsburgh
41	Pittsburgh	November 8, 1919 – November 27, 1919	19 days	1	beat Washington & Jefferson 7–6	lost to Penn State
42	Penn State	November 27, 1919 – November 3, 1922	2 yrs, 341 days	11	beat Pittsburgh 20–0	lost to Navy
43	Navy	November 3, 1922 – November 25, 1922	22 days	0	beat Penn State 14–0	lost to Army
44	Army	November 25, 1922 – October 13, 1923	322 days	0	beat Navy 17–14	lost to Notre Dame
45	Notre Dame	October 13, 1923 – October 17, 1925	2 yrs, 4 days	5	beat Army 13–0	lost to Army
46	Army	October 17, 1925 – October 31, 1925	14 days	0	beat Notre Dame 27–0	lost to Yale
47	Yale	October 31, 1925 – November 14, 1925	14 days	0	beat Army 28–7	lost to Princeton
48	Princeton	November 14, 1925 – October 16, 1926	336 days	0	beat Yale 25–12	lost to Navy
49	Navy	October 16, 1926 – October 15, 1927	364 days	3	beat Princeton 27–13	lost to Notre Dame
50	Notre Dame	October 15, 1927 – November 12, 1927	28 days	0	beat Navy 19–6	lost to Army
51	Army	November 12, 1927 – November 10, 1928	364 days	3	beat Notre Dame 18–0	lost to Notre Dame
52	Notre Dame	November 10, 1928 – November 17, 1928	7 days	0	beat Army 12–6	lost to Carnegie Mellon
53	Carnegie Mellon	November 17, 1928 – November 24, 1928	7 days	0	beat Notre Dame 27–7	lost to New York University
54	New York University	November 24, 1928 – October 12, 1929	322 days	0	beat Carnegie Mellon 27–13	lost to Fordham
55	Fordham	October 12, 1929 – November 15, 1930	1 yr, 34 days	9	beat New York University 26–0	lost to Saint Mary's (CA)
56	Saint Mary's (CA)	November 15, 1930 – November 5, 1932	1 yr, 356 days	3	beat Fordham 20–12	lost to Fordham
57	Fordham	November 5, 1932 – November 4, 1933	364 days	3	beat Saint Mary's (CA) 14–0	lost to Saint Mary's (CA)
58	Saint Mary's (CA)	November 4, 1933 – October 24, 1936	2 yrs, 355 days	9	beat Fordham 13–6	lost to Fordham
59	Fordham	October 24, 1936 – November 26, 1936	33 days	1	beat Saint Mary's (CA) 7–6	lost to New York University
60	New York University	November 26, 1936 – October 23, 1937	331 days	1	beat Fordham 7–6	lost to Lafayette
61	Lafayette	October 23, 1937 – October 1, 1938	343 days	0	beat New York University 13–0	lost to Pennsylvania
62	Pennsylvania	October 1, 1938 – October 15, 1938	14 days	1	beat Lafayette 34–6	lost to Princeton
63	Princeton	October 15, 1938 – October 29, 1938	14 days	1	beat Pennsylvania 13–0	lost to Harvard
64	Harvard	October 29, 1938 – October 21, 1939	357 days	2	beat Princeton 26–7	lost to Pennsylvania
65	Pennsylvania	October 21, 1939 – November 11, 1939	21 days	1	beat Harvard 22–7	lost to Penn State
66	Penn State	November 11, 1939 – November 23, 1940	1 yr, 12 days	8	beat Pennsylvania 10–0	lost to Pittsburgh
67	Pittsburgh	November 23, 1940 – November 22, 1941	364 days	1	beat Penn State 20–7	lost to Penn State
68	Penn State	November 22, 1941 – October 31, 1942	343 days	4	beat Pittsburgh 31–7	lost to West Virginia
69	West Virginia	October 31, 1942 – November 21, 1942	21 days	0	beat Penn State 24–0	lost to Michigan State
70	Michigan State	November 21, 1942 – November 10, 1945	2 yrs, 354 days	2	beat West Virginia 7–0	lost to Great Lakes Navy
71	Great Lakes Navy	November 10, 1945 – December 1, 1945	21 days	1	beat Michigan State 27–7	vacated — left FBS Independents before the 1952 season
72	Michigan State	December 2, 1945 – October 5, 1946	307 days	0	reverted after Great Lakes Navy left FBS Independents	lost to Boston College
73	Boston College	October 5, 1946 – November 30, 1946	56 days	4	beat Michigan State 34–20	lost to Holy Cross
74	Holy Cross	November 30, 1946 – October 11, 1947	315 days	2	beat Boston College 13–6	lost to Villanova
75	Villanova	October 11, 1947 – October 24, 1947	13 days	1	beat Holy Cross 13–6	lost to Boston College
76	Boston College	October 24, 1947 – November 29, 1947	36 days	2	beat Villanova 6–0	lost to Holy Cross
77	Holy Cross	November 29, 1947 – October 9, 1948	315 days	2	beat Boston College 20–6	lost to Dartmouth
78	Dartmouth	October 9, 1948 – November 13, 1948	35 days	4	beat Holy Cross 19–6	lost to Cornell
79	Cornell	November 13, 1948 – November 12, 1949	364 days	7	beat Dartmouth 27–26	lost to Dartmouth
80	Dartmouth	November 12, 1949 – November 19, 1949	7 days	0	beat Cornell 16–7	lost to Princeton
81	Princeton	November 19, 1949 – October 11, 1952	2 yrs, 327 days	18	beat Dartmouth 19–13	lost to Pennsylvania
82	Pennsylvania	October 11, 1952 – November 1, 1952	21 days	2	beat Princeton 13–7	lost to Penn State
83	Penn State	November 1, 1952 – November 8, 1952	7 days	0	beat Pennsylvania 14–7	lost to Syracuse
84	Syracuse	November 8, 1952 – October 17, 1953	343 days	5	beat Penn State 25–7	lost to Penn State
85	Penn State	October 17, 1953 – October 1, 1955	1 yr, 349 days	9	beat Syracuse 20–14	lost to Army
86	Army	October 1, 1955 – October 15, 1955	14 days	0	beat Penn State 35–6	lost to Syracuse
87	Syracuse	October 15, 1955 – November 5, 1955	21 days	1	beat Army 13–0	lost to Penn State
88	Penn State	November 5, 1955 – November 19, 1955	14 days	1	beat Syracuse 21–20	lost to Pittsburgh
89	Pittsburgh	November 19, 1955 – October 19, 1957	1 yr, 334 days	5	beat Penn State 20–0	lost to Army
90	Army	October 19, 1957 – November 30, 1957	42 days	1	beat Pittsburgh 29–13	lost to Navy
91	Navy	November 30, 1957 – November 1, 1958	336 days	1	beat Army 14–0	lost to Notre Dame
92	Notre Dame	November 1, 1958 – November 8, 1958	7 days	0	beat Navy 40–20	lost to Pittsburgh
93	Pittsburgh	November 8, 1958 – November 27, 1958	19 days	0	beat Notre Dame 29–26	lost to Penn State
94	Penn State	November 27, 1958 – November 7, 1959	345 days	3	beat Pittsburgh 25–21	lost to Syracuse
95	Syracuse	November 7, 1959 – October 29, 1960	357 days	5	beat Penn State 20–18	lost to Pittsburgh
96	Pittsburgh	October 29, 1960 – November 19, 1960	21 days	2	beat Syracuse 10–0	lost to Penn State
97	Penn State	November 19, 1960 – September 29, 1961	314 days	2	beat Pittsburgh 14–3	lost to Miami
98	Miami	September 29, 1961 – October 6, 1961	7 days	0	beat Penn State 25–8	lost to Navy
99	Navy	October 6, 1961 – October 28, 1961	22 days	1	beat Miami 17–6	lost to Pittsburgh
100	Pittsburgh	October 28, 1961 – November 4, 1961	7 days	0	beat Navy 28–14	lost to Syracuse
101	Syracuse	November 4, 1961 – November 18, 1961	14 days	1	beat Pittsburgh 28–9	lost to Notre Dame
102	Notre Dame	November 18, 1961 – November 2, 1963	1 yr, 349 days	2	beat Syracuse 17–15	lost to Navy
103	Navy	November 2, 1963 – October 9, 1964	342 days	2	beat Notre Dame 35–14	lost to Georgia Tech
104	Georgia Tech	October 9, 1964 – October 28, 1967	3 yrs, 19 days	3	beat Navy 17–0	lost to Tulane
105	Tulane	October 28, 1967 – September 14, 1968	322 days	0	beat Georgia Tech 23–12	lost to Houston
106	Houston	September 14, 1968 – November 29, 1968	76 days	0	beat Tulane 54–7	lost to Florida State
107	Florida State	November 29, 1968 – November 29, 1969	1 yr	2	beat Houston 40–20	lost to Houston
108	Houston	November 29, 1969 – October 21, 1972	2 yrs, 327 days	9	beat Florida State 41–13	lost to Miami
109	Miami	October 21, 1972 – November 11, 1972	21 days	1	beat Houston 33–13	lost to Tampa
110	Tampa	November 11, 1972 – September 28, 1974	1 yr, 321 days	4	beat Miami 7–0	lost to Miami
111	Miami	September 28, 1974 – October 26, 1974	28 days	1	beat Tampa 28–26	lost to Notre Dame
112	Notre Dame	October 26, 1974 – November 15, 1975	1 yr, 20 days	7	beat Miami 38–7	lost to Pittsburgh
113	Pittsburgh	November 15, 1975 – November 22, 1975	7 days	0	beat Notre Dame 34–20	lost to Penn State
114	Penn State	November 22, 1975 – November 26, 1976	1 yr, 4 days	5	beat Pittsburgh 7–6	lost to Pittsburgh
115	Pittsburgh	November 26, 1976 – September 10, 1977	288 days	0	beat Penn State 24–7	lost to Notre Dame
116	Notre Dame	September 10, 1977 – October 10, 1981	4 yrs, 30 days	19	beat Pittsburgh 19–9	lost to Florida State
117	Florida State	October 10, 1981 – October 17, 1981	7 days	0	beat Notre Dame 19–13	lost to Pittsburgh
118	Pittsburgh	October 17, 1981 – November 28, 1981	42 days	5	beat Florida State 42–14	lost to Penn State
119	Penn State	November 28, 1981 – October 29, 1983	1 yr, 335 days	11	beat Pittsburgh 48–14	lost to Boston College
120	Boston College	October 29, 1983 – November 12, 1983	14 days	1	beat Penn State 27–17	lost to Syracuse
121	Syracuse	November 12, 1983 – September 22, 1984	315 days	1	beat Boston College 21–10	lost to Rutgers
122	Rutgers	September 22, 1984 – October 27, 1984	35 days	3	beat Syracuse 19–0	lost to Boston College
123	Boston College	October 27, 1984 – November 3, 1984	7 days	0	beat Rutgers 35–23	lost to Penn State
124	Penn State	November 3, 1984 – November 17, 1984	14 days	0	beat Boston College 37–30	lost to Notre Dame
125	Notre Dame	November 17, 1984 – November 16, 1985	364 days	2	beat Penn State 44–7	lost to Penn State
126	Penn State	November 16, 1985 – October 17, 1987	1 yr, 335 days	15	beat Notre Dame 36–6	lost to Syracuse
127	Syracuse	October 17, 1987 – November 19, 1988	1 yr, 33 days	11	beat Penn State 48–21	lost to West Virginia
128	West Virginia	November 19, 1988 – January 2, 1989	44 days	0	beat Syracuse 31–9	lost to Notre Dame
129	Notre Dame	January 2, 1989 – November 25, 1989	327 days	3	beat West Virginia 34–21	lost to Miami
130	Miami	November 25, 1989 – October 20, 1990	329 days	1	beat Notre Dame 27–10	lost to Notre Dame
131	Notre Dame	October 20, 1990 – November 17, 1990	28 days	2	beat Miami 29–20	lost to Penn State
132	Penn State	November 17, 1990 – December 28, 1990	41 days	1	beat Notre Dame 24–21	lost to Florida State
133	Florida State	December 28, 1990 – January 1, 1992	1 yr, 4 days	3	beat Penn State 24–17	vacated — left FBS Independents before the 1992 season
134	Penn State	January 2, 1992 – November 14, 1992	317 days	1	reverted after Florida State left FBS Independents	lost to Notre Dame
135	Notre Dame	November 14, 1992 – November 3, 2007	14 yrs, 354 days	16	beat Penn State 17–16	lost to Navy
136	Navy	November 3, 2007 – November 15, 2008	1 yr, 12 days	1	beat Notre Dame 46–44	lost to Notre Dame
137	Notre Dame	November 15, 2008 – November 7, 2009	357 days	0	beat Navy 27–21	lost to Navy
138	Navy	November 7, 2009 – October 29, 2011	1 yr, 356 days	3	beat Notre Dame 23–21	lost to Notre Dame
139	Notre Dame	October 29, 2011 – December 28, 2019	8 yrs, 60 days	6	beat Navy 56–14	vacated — left FBS Independents before the 2020 season
140	Army	December 29, 2019 – October 28, 2023	3 yrs, 303 days	5	reverted after Notre Dame left FBS Independents	lost to Massachusetts
141	Massachusetts	October 28, 2023 – November 25, 2023	28 days	0	beat Army 21–14	lost to UConn
142	UConn	November 25, 2023 – Present	2 yrs, 340 days	1	beat Massachusetts 31–18	— present —

No reigns match “.”

Membership is judged season by season from every game a team played, so realignment moves a team’s games with it. A holder that stays in FBS Independents keeps the belt through any stretch without a game against another member; a holder that leaves vacates the belt on its last game as a member, and it reverts to the most recent earlier holder that is a member of the season it left for. If no one is left to inherit it, the belt retires with its last holder. Days count the offseason; switch to games to measure a reign by belt games only.

← See every conference belt