The U.S.C.G.A. Athletic Department offers 23 intercollegiate sports for cadets, and competes in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Cadets devote two hours per academic day to athletic activities, either on varsity teams, club teams, or other sports pursuits. The academy nickname is the Bears, honoring the renowned Coast Guard ship of the same name.

The Leadership Development Center was added to the campus in 1998. In addition to the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School and other training programs for the service at large, it offers special programs aimed at furthering the core mission of the academy toward its cadets.