| Niagara Purple Eagles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Niagara University |
| Conference | MAAC (primary) Atlantic Hockey America (men's ice hockey) Northeast Conference (bowling) |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Simon B. Gray |
| Location | Lewiston, New York |
| Varsity teams | 19 |
| Basketball arena | Gallagher Center |
| Ice hockey arena | Dwyer Arena |
| Baseball stadium | John P. Bobo Field |
| Soccer stadium | Niagara Field |
| Golf course | Niagara Falls Country Club |
| Other venues | Classic Lanes in Kenmore (bowling) |
| Mascot | Monte |
| Nickname | Purple Eagles |
| Colors | Purple and white[1] |
| Website | purpleeagles |
 | |
TheNiagara Purple Eagles are athletics teams that representNiagara University incollege sports. Part of theNCAA'sDivision I, the Purple Eagles field 19 varsity level teams. The Purple Eagles are full members of theMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference and the ice hockey-onlyAtlantic Hockey America, and are also members of theNortheast Conference for women's bowling. Previously, Niagara was a charter member of theEastern College Athletic Conference-North (1979-1989). Between 1946 and 1958, Niagara was a member of theWestern New York Little Three Conference.
In 2012, thewomen's ice hockey program was replaced by women'strack and field. In 2023 women's bowling was added with a number of players from closingMedaille University, their head coach and their assistant coach.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Bowling |
| Cross Country | Cross Country |
| Golf | Golf |
| Ice Hockey | Lacrosse |
| Rugby | Soccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Swimming | Swimming |
| Tennis | Tennis |
| Track and field1 | |
| Volleyball | |
| 1 – includes both indoor and outdoor. | |
Teams competing at the club level are:
Niagara first played football in 1897 and continued until suspending operations after the 1909 season. The Purple Eagles returned for the 1914 season and kept playing college football until World War II made the 1941 season Niagara's last until 1946. For the third time, the Purple Eagles suspended their team after the 1950 season, only to return in 1967. After 20 seasons of play that had seven winless seasons with six occurring in a span of seven years, the Purple Eagles dropped football for the fourth and final time after the 1987 season. Over the span of 67 seasons, the team went won 182 games, lost 205 games, and had 31 ties. In the 1975 club season they played the Heritage Bowl inWorcester, Massachusetts, losing toAssumption College (27-7). The Eagles had 37 seasons in which they finished with more wins and ties than losses, though the Purple Eagles finished on an 18-game losing streak in over three seasons, their last win occurring in October 1985.
The most wins they had in a season was 1902, in which they went 9–3–1, while the most losses they had in a season was 1922, when they finished 1–8–1.[2]
Niagara's fiercest rivals include:
| Full members |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Associate members |
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