Some believe that this nickname was a reference to the Lehigh Valley Railroad,[3] not to the school's academic engineering program.

[5] Controversy arose the following year, when the school's nickname was changed to the Mountain Hawks.

Many alumni and students, including various members of Lehigh's Marching 97, still object, though the school's athletes were cited as being strong supporters of this change.

[6] The university lists all three nicknames, Engineers, Brown & White, and Mountain Hawks, in its media guides.

Lehigh has very successful programs in both baseball (men) and softball (women), having won both Patriot League titles in 2015 and advancing to the NCAA playoffs.

Lehigh won the 1977 Division II National Championship by defeating Jacksonville State 33–0 in the Pioneer Bowl.

[10] Tailgate parties are a big part of the experience, attracting many students and alumni who attend the games.

In the Lehigh Mountain Hawks 2016 football season they finished with 9 wins and 3 losses, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Lehigh also received nine first team honors for senior quarterback Nick Shafnisky, sophomore running back Dom Bragalone, junior wide receiver and return specialist Gatlin Casey, junior wide receiver Troy Pelletier, senior offensive tackle Zach Duffy, sophomore place kicker and punter Ed Mish, and senior linebacker Colton Caslow.

Lehigh also earned four second team honors for junior offensive tackle Tim O'Hara, senior offensive tackle Brandon Short, junior defensive lineman Tyler Cavenas, and senior defensive back Brandon Leaks.

[13] In the upcoming 2017 football season the Lehigh Mountain Hawks will be looking towards defending their 2016 Patriot League Championship, and hope to repeat.

The Mountain Hawks have a strong tradition in lacrosse, but have only appeared twice (2012, 2013) in the present NCAA championships since its formation in 1971.

Lehigh men's and women's soccer are NCAA Division I programs that compete in the Patriot League.

Leading the women's team is Eric Lambinus, assisted by Lauren Calabrese, Madi Morgan, and Bill Moukoulis.

Combined between the two teams, 24 student athletes made the Patriot League Honor Roll, having a 3.2 GPA or higher during the fall semester (Women: 15, Men: 9).

Men's Roster 2016: Ian Marshall, Will Smith, Joe Bogan, Alex Greene, Matt Morana, Zarin Tuten, Calum Bishop, Doyle Tuvesson, Jack Miskel, Danny Gonzalez, Mark Forrest, Gio Giammatteo, Oscar Greene, Justin Worley, Nolan Coulter, Tatsu Otani, Nick Jewell, Tommy Dokho, David Zipkin, Kevin Klinkenberg, Matthew Peralta, Nick Facendo, Danny Leszczynski, John Marc Charpentier, Jacob Gottwald, Paul Steingraber Women's Roster 2016: Lidia Breen, Sam Miller, Kylie Ginsberg, Alyssa Riporti, Maggie Wadsworth, Laura Courtney, Tori Pantaleo, Kalin Ojert, Kat Jacobellis, Clare Severe, Kayla Arestivo, Jess Sacco, Sabrina Mertz, Amanda Stratton, Becca Sherry, Madeline Walsh, Adrian Vitello, Lexi Chang, Annika Jansa, Grace Correll, Ashley Maziarz, Sidonie Warnecker, Erin Racano, Mary Casey[15][16] Julius Seligson played collegiate tennis at Lehigh University, graduating in 1930.

[18] In 1928 he won the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship in singles, to become Lehigh's first individual national champion.

[18] Lehigh's wrestling team competes in the EIWA and has a strong tradition in the sport dating back to 1910.

In 2018, they won the EIWA championship again, snapping the 11-year streak of Cornell University, the team's biggest rival.

This is how the popular "Eco-flame" was created and it is done every year on the week Lehigh faces its rival, Lafayette College.