Part of the NCAA's Division I, the Purple Eagles field 19 varsity level teams.

The Purple Eagles are full members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and the ice hockey-only Atlantic Hockey America, and are also members of the Northeast Conference for women's bowling.

Teams competing at the club level are: Niagara first played football in 1897 and continued until suspending operations after the 1909 season.

For the third time, the Purple Eagles suspended their team after the 1950 season, only to return in 1967.

In the 1975 club season they played the Heritage Bowl in Worcester, Massachusetts, losing to Assumption College (27-7).