athletic program started in 1922 with men’s and women's basketball. The university sponsors 23 sports at the NCAA Division III level. The majority of sports compete in the Little East Conference; wrestling competes as an independent Division III team, men's and women's ice hockey compete in the ECAC East.
=== Varsity teams ===
=== Club sports ===
The University of Southern Maine has six club sports teams. They include ice hockey, men's rugby, men's volleyball, women's volleyball, dance team, and esports. The largest club is the USM Esports team, a competitive video gaming team, with 170 participating students during the 2023–2024 academic year. In 2024, Town & Country Federal Credit Union donated $750,000 to create The Collab: Esports Arena within the Brooks Student Center on the Gorham campus.
== Controversy ==
=== Parking Revenue Recovery Services ===
In 2023–2024, USM instituted a new parking policy and hired controversial Colorado-based vendor Parking Revenue Recovery Services to administer it. Students …
