The University has been participating in intercollegiate athletics as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level since August 2022, but in athletics at the NCAA level since September 1976. The OVC currently sponsors baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's outdoor track & field, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's tennis, and volleyball. Men's tennis plays in the Horizon League which is a joint sponsorship with the OVC while men's and women's swimming and diving compete in the Summit League. OVC members are Eastern Illinois University, Lindenwood University, University of Arkansas Little Rock, Morehead State University, Southeast Missouri University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech University, University of Tennessee Martin and Western Illinois University. The University offers nine men's and ten women's sports at the intercollegiate level.
The sports offered as NCAA sanctioned are:
| Men’s Sports | Women's Sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross Country |
| Cross Country | Golf |
| Golf | Indoor Track and Field |
| Indoor Track and Field | Outdoor Track and Field |
| Outdoor Track and Field | Soccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Swimming & Diving | Swimming & Diving |
| Tennis | Tennis |
| Volleyball |