Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) since the 2018–19 academic year. They are also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the South Region of the Division I level.
CIU currently competes in 13 intercollegiate athletic teams: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball.
== Ben Lippen School ==
The Ben Lippen School is a private, interdenominational Christian school located on the CIU campus. It was founded as a boarding school in Asheville, North Carolina, in the 1940s, but was moved to its current location in 1988, offering middle and high school programs. An elementary school away from the main CIU campus was begun in 1989, and in 2006, a main elementary school campus was completed on CIU grounds …
