Competing at the non-scholarship National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III level, the school fields twenty teams.

Willamette moved to the NCAA's Division III in 1998 after previously being a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) institution.

[5] In April 2018, the university announced the creation of the first women's varsity triathlon program in Oregon and ninth in NCAA Division III.

[8] On December 6, 1941, the team played the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, losing 20 to 6 in what was supposed to be the first of two post-season games.

[9][10][11] The following day, December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the nearby naval base at Pearl Harbor, stranding the team on Hawaii.

[10][11] During World War II, the school played abbreviated schedules, and did not field a team in 1945, with a return to normalcy in 1946.

[15] The team was ranked as high as fourth in Division III, and won first round playoff game.

[15] The team lost in the second round of the playoffs to defending champion Wisconsin-Whitewater, 30–27, and finished the year 11–1.

[7][18] The 1997 team made the school's only appearance in a national championship, losing to 14–7 to the University of Findlay in the NAIA title game.

[7] From 1923 until 1974 the basketball team played home games at the Willamette Gymnasium, now the Theatre Playhouse.

[25] In 1998, the women's soccer team compiled a 19–1–4 record and lost in the NCAA Division III national semifinal game.

[22] From 1981 to 1987 the men's track and field team won seven consecutive conference titles, coached by Charles Bowles.

[30] The men's team was led by multiple NCAA champion and later Olympic runner Nick Symmonds from 2003 to 2006.

[31] In 2002, the men's cross country team placed fifth at the Division III national championship after winning their second conference title in a row.

[26] In 2006 and 2007, Sarah Zerzan won the NCAA Division III individual title in cross country.

[39] The Bearcats baseball team's career leader in wins as a coach is David Wong with 286.

[44] Both stadiums are next to Salem's Bush's Pasture Park used by the cross country teams for their annual home meet.

[44] The softball field is located south of the Tokyo International University of America campus on the east side of 13th Street.

[44] The Lestle J. Sparks Center is the main indoor facility for the school, and contains Cone Field House and Henkle Gymnasium.