The National Collegiate Athletic Association is the primary association that governs and controls intercollegiate athletics on the national level. The Alaska Nanooks athletic program is a multidivisional member of the NCAA, with 10 teams competing at the Division I and Division II levels, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country running, men’s and women’s Nordic skiing, coed rifle, women’s volleyball, women’s swimming, and men’s ice hockey. For intercollegiate athletics information, call 907-474-6665 or visit the Alaska Nanooks website.

The Alaska Nanooks have conference affiliations with the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association, and Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference. The men's ice hockey team competes independently. The 11-time NCAA champion Alaska Nanooks rifle team competes in the Patriot Rifle Conference.

The Ernest N. Patty Center, home of the Alaska Nanook teams, was completed in 1963 and houses a 1,650-seat gymnasium, a 25-yard swimming pool, athletic training room, ticketing box office, varsity weight room, rifle range, administrative offices and locker rooms with saunas. In 1979, the 1,300-seat Patty ice arena was built to the west of the Patty Center. The Alaska Nanooks men’s hockey team practices at the Patty ice arena and competes off campus at the 4,595-seat Carlson Center.