In most sports, WKU has been a member of the Sun Belt
Conference since 1982. During the years 1948-82, it was a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. The men's soccer program competes in the Missouri Valley Conference, as the Sun Belt does not sponsor that sport for men.The men's basketball program is one of the ten most winning in the history of the NCAA.
The school has made one appearance in the Final Four, in 1971.The Hilltopper football team belongs to the Gateway Football Conference and, in 2002, they won the NCAA Division 1-AA National Football
championship. In 2002, they renewed their annual rivalry game against cross-state rival Eastern Kentucky University.The women's basketball program is consistently ranked in the top twenty and made three Final Four appearances. They were the
runner-up in 1992.The men's athletic teams are known as the
Hilltoppers and the women's teams as the
Lady Toppers.