After nine years , Idaho left the Western Athletic Conference in July 2014 , following a large defection of members to other conferences . The WAC dropped football after the 2012 season , as only two members with football programs remained , Idaho and New Mexico State . The Vandal football team was an independent for the 2013 season , and rejoined the Sun Belt Conference as an affiliate member in 2014 , after a decade-long departure . The other sports shifted back to the Big Sky Conference , rejoining after an 18-year absence . The Sun Belt Conference announced on March 1 , 2016 , that the affiliation agreement with Idaho and New Mexico State would not be extended past the 2017 season . In 2018 , the Vandals will become the first football program to voluntarily drop from the FBS level to the FCS level , as the football program will rejoin the Big Sky Conference
independent
NCAA Division I FBS independent schools
Idaho Vandals