The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The Lions won one NAIA National Championship in the 1954–55 season, 21 Lone Star Conference Championships, and have made National Playoff tournaments 19 times, 11 as a member of the NAIA and eight as a member of the NCAA Division II.

Darrell Tully assumed head coaching duties and led the Lions to a conference title in 1948 and two appearances in the NAIA postseason playoffs.

Milburn Smith led the team to the NAIA National Tournament in 1950 and conference title before becoming the head football coach at the university and having tremendous success.

It was the final time the Lions would make the National tournament under Rogers, despite having winning records in 1956 and a conference title in 1957 before leaving Commerce to become head coach for Texas A&M University.

[5] In 1982, the East Texas State and Lone Star Conference left the NAIA and joined the NCAA.

Under Walker, the Lions won 285 games, had 10 winning seasons, and a Lone Star Conference Championship in 2005 and 2015.

They debuted in the Southland Conference in the 2022–23 season and began their four-year transition process to garner full-time Division I status.

[10] [11] The East Texas A&M men and women's basketball teams both share the university field house along with volleyball .

The Field House covers 69,000 square feet and will seat 3,055 people for either a volleyball or basketball contest.

The facility is also the host to the university's Athletic Administration staff, the Sports Medicine Department and the Health and Human Performance Department; in addition to the offices for the basketball, cross country and track and field, golf, soccer and volleyball teams.

The Field House is shaped like an airplane hangar and has space for three basketball courts crossways.

With an arched roof, 58 feet from the ground at the highest point, is supported on steel beams that are stationed at one end.