A member of the America East Conference,[4] Binghamton University, SUNY sponsors teams in eleven men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports.

In transitioning to SUNY Binghamton, they also developed their athletics program further, adopting the new school nickname and mascot: The red, white, and blue Colonials.

On May 6, 1999, it was announced that Binghamton would begin the required compliance process for a move to NCAA Division I participation.

[6] The new nickname was described as "a mythical animal that combines the power and ferocity of a bear with the cunning and quickness of a cat."

Hired in 1989, Dr. Thirer resigned on September 30, 2009, amid controversy surrounding the Men's Basketball program.

[13] Patrick Elliott was introduced as Binghamton's director of athletics on October 6, 2011, and began his appointment on November 14.

Following a national search led by Parker Executive Search, Binghamton University's President Harvey Stenger announced on November 22, 2022, the hiring of Hampton University's athletics director, Eugene Marshall Jr. as the Bearcats’ new director of athletics.

Binghamton has 20 other successful Division I program sports, although the media focuses primarily on men's basketball.

The facilities has an indoor track where the track and field teams practice and compete, indoor tennis courts for both men and women tennis teams, as well as the primary weight and fitness equipment, sports medicine and uniform issuance facilities.

Opened in the Fall of 2007, the Bearcat Sports Complex features two artificial turf fields for soccer and lacrosse.

A new field along with a modestly sized stadium and a press box will be added immediately behind the current concession stand.

It was recently announced that Varsity field will undergo major renovations set for completion by the 2012 season.

The project was supposed to be for an artificial turf field along with light and many other updates including bathrooms in the dugouts.