Wesleyan has been competing on the intercollegiate level for more than 135 years, dating back to the Agalian baseball team. Women began competing in varsity athletics in 1971. More than 700 Wesleyan scholar athletes now represent Wesleyan University in intercollegiate athletic events each year.

Wesleyan, an NCAA Division III college, is a charter member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), established in 1971. Current members include Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, and Williams, along with Wesleyan. NESCAC is considered to be the most competitive NCAA conference in the country. However, the NESCAC athletics mission includes maintaining a balance between athletics and the academic objectives of the University.