| Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks | |
|---|---|
| University | Northwest Nazarene University |
| Conference | Great Northwest Athletic Conference |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Paul Rush |
| Location | Nampa, Idaho |
| Varsity teams | 16 (7 men’s and 9 women’s) (17 (8 men's and 9 women's in 2025-26)) |
| Basketball arena | Johnson Sports Center |
| Baseball stadium | Elmore W. Vail Baseball Field |
| Softball stadium | Bobby Welch Halle Softball Field |
| Soccer field | NNU Soccer Field |
| Mascot | Howard the Elk |
| Nickname | Nighthawks |
| Colors | Red, white, black, and gray[1] |
| Website | nnusports |
TheNorthwest Nazarene Nighthawks (formerly theCrusaders)[2] are the athletic teams that representNorthwest Nazarene University, located inNampa, Idaho, in intercollegiate sports as a member of theDivision II level of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in theGreat Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) since the 2001–02 academic year.
The Nighthawks previously competed in the D-IIPacific West Conference (PacWest) during the 2000–01 school year; and in theCascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1993–94 to 1999–2000.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Cross country | Golf |
| Golf | Lacrosse1 |
| Lacrosse1 | Soccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Track and field | Track and field |
| 1 – club teams | |

The school's main rival is the NAIA'sCollege of Idaho, located a short distance to the west inCaldwell, Idaho.
A prominent former member of the school's athletic department isScott Flemming, who coachedIndia’s national basketball team for several years.[3]