SIUE is a member of the NCAA at the Division I level. The university is a member in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and most teams compete in the OVC. However, the university also fields certain sports that the OVC does not sponsor competition in; SIUE is an associate member of the Mid-American Conference for wrestling. Previously, they were an associate member of the Missouri Valley Conference for men's soccer and an associate member of the Southern Conference for wrestling from 2007 to 2017. Until 2008, SIUE competed in the NCAA's Division II as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). The university has won 17 NCAA National Championships, 16 of which occurred while the university was a member of Division II.
The school mascot was Cory the Cougar until 2010, when the school decided to get a new mascot, "Eddie the Cougar"—the new name being a direct reference to Edwardsville. The number 57 on Eddie's jersey is in honor of the university's founding in 1957.
== Student life ==
=== Student clubs …