They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision sub-level for football), primarily competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for all sports since the 1991–92 season; within the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a divisional format since the 2005–06 season.

[4] The Florida State University again became a co-ed institution in 1947 with most of the newly enrolled male students back from service in World War II.

Athletic programs resumed and Florida State fielded its first football team in 43 years with FSU facing Stetson on October 18, 1947.

In 1976, Florida State joined the Metro Conference in all sports except football, which remained independent.

In 1904 and 1905, the Florida State College won football championships wearing purple and gold uniforms.

When FSC became Florida State College for Women in 1905, the FSCW student body selected crimson as the official school color.

The administration in 1905 took crimson and combined it with the recognizable purple of the championship football teams to achieve the color garnet.

[5] On April 11, 2014, as part of the university's rebranding of the program, white and black were added to the official school colors.

[6] Florida State also uses turquoise accents on special occasions in various sports to honor the Seminole Tribe as the color represents “harmony, friendship, and fellowship” within Native American culture.

[9] However, the figures of Osceola and Renegade, as well as the athletic logo, are used in a way that is indistinguishable from other mascots; they are used to rally the crowd at sporting events, and emblazoned on T-shirts and other merchandise.

[12] In 2005, the Tribal Council produced a written resolution affirming their support for the use of their symbolism, and FSU states that they take pride in their "continued collaboration with the tribe".

[13] This included Native American mascots, and FSU was specifically flagged as a university with potentially offensive imagery.

[17] The American Psychological Association has made similar statements about the negative effects of Indigenous mascots, arguing that they promote stereotypes, establish a hostile environment, and undermine the Nations' ability to accurately represent their culture.

[18] Students and other members of the Florida State community have also argued against the use of Native imagery, posting about it on school blogs and starting a Change.org petition in August 2021 to "ban racist traditions at FSU".

Florida State University sponsors teams in eight men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports, generally as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Florida State's baseball program is one of the most successful in collegiate sports, having been to twenty-four College World Series (CWS) in sixty Tournament appearances, and having appeared in the national championship final on three occasions, (falling to the USC Trojans in 1970, the Arizona Wildcats in 1986, and the Miami Hurricanes in 1999).

11 Mike Martin for forty years, Florida State is the second-winningest program in the history of college baseball.

Since 2000, FSU is the winningest program in college baseball with more victories and a higher winning percentage in the regular season than any other school.

In 2010, the Seminoles made it to the Elite Eight round, the deepest advance in the tournament in program history, matching that run in 2015 and again in 2017.

[30] FSU also set an NCAA record for most consecutive Top 5 finishes in the AP football poll – receiving placement fourteen years in a row, from 1987 to 2000.

FSU also owns the record for most consecutive bowl game victories with 11 between 1985 and 1996 and made a post-season appearance for thirty-six straight seasons from 1982 to 2017.

Florida State's football program has produced many players who went on to NFL careers, including Fred Biletnikoff, Deion Sanders, Terrell Buckley, Derrick Brooks, Sebastian Janikowski, Walter Jones, Corey Simon, Anquan Boldin, Javon Walker, Warrick Dunn, Peter Boulware, Laveranues Coles, Brad Johnson, Samari Rolle, Peter Warrick, Jalen Ramsey, Dalvin Cook, Jameis Winston, Darnell Dockett, Dustin Hopkins, Graham Gano, Rodney Hudson, and many others; other notable players include Burt Reynolds and Lee Corso.

Florida State's accomplishments include two AIAW national championships, one NCAA national championship, twelve trips to the Women's College World Series, thirty-six NCAA tournaments, thirty-nine All-Americans, and nineteen conference titles, as well as forty forty win seasons.

In 2006, the team had individual champions in the 200 m (Walter Dix), the triple jump (Rafeeq Curry), and the shot put (Garrett Johnson).

Since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, FSU has been ranked among the top fifty NCAA Division I athletic programs in the country.

Coyle E. Moore Athletics Center Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility Bill Harkins Field at the Manley R. Whitcomb Band Complex Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium Donald L. Tucker Civic Center Seminole Basketball Training Center Don Veller Seminole Golf Course JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex Lucy McDaniel Volleyball Court at Tully Gymnasium Florida State University Beach Volleyball Courts Mcintosh Track and Field Building at Mike Long Track Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium Morcom Aquatics Center Scott Speicher Tennis Center at the Donald Loucks Courts Indoor tennis facility Seminole Soccer Complex Apalachee Regional Park A number of FSU alumni have found success in professional sports, with 123 active alumni competing in sports including basketball, football, baseball and golf.

[45] FSU alums have competed at the Olympic Games, winning seventeen medals: six golds, four silvers, and seven bronzes.

Paterno's wins were later reinstated, however, following an appeal from the Penn State Board of Trustees in January 2015.,[53] leaving Coach Bowden with the 2nd all-time winningest record in Division 1 football.