[3][4] USI was a founding member of the GLVC and began competing in 1979, leading to 188 NCAA Tournament appearances and 231 athletes earning All-American honors.

Men's basketball won the NCAA II National Championship in 1995 with 3.9 million viewers watching them on CBS Sports.

During this nine-year span, USI went to nine straight NCAA D-II tournaments, won four GLVC regular season titles, and compiled a record of 231–46.

Pearl's successor, Rick Herdes, led the team to a second-place finish at the 2004 Division II national championship and posted a record of 200–59.

Watson's Screaming Eagles made one trip to the Elite Eight during the 2019 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament, advancing all the way to the Final Four before bowing out to eventually runner-up Point Lima 71–81.

[10] Following Watson's retirement after the 2019–20 season, two time NABC Division II Player of the Year and USI all-time great Stan Gouard was named head basketball coach at his alma mater.

The team made its first trip to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship in 2017, losing to West Florida in the opening rounds.