During an athletics history that traces its roots to the 1920s, Towson has sent teams and individual student-athletes to NCAA post-season competition in baseball, basketball, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, track & field and volleyball.

Towson University sponsors teams in six men's and thirteen women's NCAA sanctioned sports:[2] Changes since 2000 to the men's programs include the elimination of several varsity sports in the 2003–04 school year: indoor track, outdoor track, cross country, tennis.

Towson became the first team in NCAA history to compete in the playoffs at all three levels of competition in football (DI, DII and DIII).

In 1974, the Tigers finished with a 14–1 record and won the Division II national title with an 18–17 overtime win over Hobart.

In 2012, Towson reached the Division 2 national playoffs, defeating Boston University in the round of 16 and Colgate in the quarterfinals, before losing to Salisbury in the semifinals.