The Carleton Knights are the athletic teams that represent Carleton College, located in Northfield, Minnesota, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division III ranks, primarily competing in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) since the 1983–84 academic year;[2] which they were a member on a previous stint from 1920–21 to 1924–25.

[5] Carleton's biggest athletic rival is St. Olaf College, located across the Cannon River on the other side of Northfield.

[10] Wally Ulrich won the NCAA individual national championship in men's golf in 1943 and the Midwest Conference title in 1947.

[14][16] The Carleton's women's cross country team has participated in the NCAA Division III Championship 18 times since 1985.

[14][22] Both the men's and women's cross country teams compete against St. Olaf College runners in the Great Karhu Shoe Race each year.

Starting in 1972, runners who aren't appearing at the following weekend's NCAA Central Region Championships race against each other for the trophy, a pair of Karhu shoes.

[25] With a 9–1 overall record, the 1992 team was selected to play in the NCAA Division III Football Tournament, losing in the first round to Central College (Iowa) 20–8.

[33] The other men's Ultimate team, the Gods of Plastic, won the 2010 and 2012 College Division III Open National Championships,[34] and the other women's Ultimate team, Eclipse, won the College Division III Women's nationals in 2011, 2016, and 2017.

Each year the team plays a fall season in the National Small College Rugby Organization.

[36] In 1964, Carleton students named an intramural slow-pitch softball league after Marv Rotblatt, a former Chicago White Sox pitcher.