Both stories come from the same cold evening on January 30, 1933, when the men's basketball team was playing at West Liberty State.

A member of the Horizon League, Youngstown State University sponsors teams in nine men's and twelve women's NCAA sanctioned sports:[5] YSU has been particularly successful in, and is most recognized for, football.

The program started in the 1930s and is one of the leading programs in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA), YSU has won four FCS national championships, third behind North Dakota State (7) and Georgia Southern (6), with all of them coming under former head coach Jim Tressel.

Tressel, who left the university following the 2000 season to coach at Ohio State and later returned to YSU as president from 2014 to 2023, helped the Penguins claim titles in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997, as well as runner-up finishes in 1992 and 1999.

Eric Wolford, a Youngstown native who has been labeled a top recruiter at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, was named the sixth head coach in school history on Dec. 15, 2009; a highlight of Wolford's second season was a 2011 victory over eventual National Champion North Dakota State.

Youngstown native Bo Pelini was announced as the seventh head coach in school history on Dec. 16, 2014.

YSU plays its home games at Stambaugh Stadium, nicknamed "The Ice Castle", which has an official capacity of 20,630,[7] one of the largest in Division I FCS.

The most notable Youngstown State alumni to play in the NFL are Jeff Wilkins, Ron Jaworski, Paul McFadden, and Cliff Stoudt.

Since joining the Horizon League in the 2001–02 season, the men's basketball team has never finished higher than a tie for fourth.

The Youngstown State women’s basketball team began competing as an official member of the athletic department in the 1975-76 season under Head Coach Joyce Ramsey.

The 1998 team finished with a 28-3 record and beat Memphis in the opening round of the NCAA tournament for the program’s first postseason victory.

Behind Horizon League Coach of the Year Bob Boldon and Honorable Mention All-American Brandi Brown, YSU had a 23-10 record in 2013 and was selected to the 2013 WNIT.

The 2015 Horizon League Outdoor Track and Field Championship was Head Coach Brian Gorby's 25th title.

[11] The Penguins' primary athletic facilities are Stambaugh Stadium (football) and the Beeghly Center (basketball, swimming, and volleyball).