UMES was one of the founding members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1970.
 The school left the MEAC in 1979 but re-joined in 1981 and has been a member ever since.
The Hawks compete in 15 sports at the Division I level: seven men's and eight women's.
 Prior to 1970, the university was a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in Division II.

The school was once a powerhouse in black college football, producing five undefeated seasons between 1947 and 1960.
Like many smaller colleges, the high costs associated with operating an NCAA Division I football program and complying with the federal Title IX gender-equity law became too much of a burden, and subsequently the team was disbanded following the 1979 season.

In 1948, Maryland State College and Albright College played one of the first intercollegiate football game between an historically black institution and a majority-white institution.

After a consultant produced a study in 2012 on the feasibility of reinstating football, President Dr. Juliette B. Bell put together a task force to weigh whether football should be reinstated.
 On Feb. 28, 2013, the decision was to continue without football, but that the topic "may be revisited" in five years.

NFL player and coach Art Shell attended UMES.

UMES is tied with Florida State for the most alumni appearing in a single Super Bowl game.
In the 1968 game (Super Bowl III) between the New York Jets and the Baltimore Colts, UMES was represented by four alumni: Earl Christy (1961–1964), Johnny Sample (1954–1957), Emerson Boozer (1962–1965), and Charlie Stukes (1963–1967).

The UMES women's bowling team won the NCAA Bowling Championship in 2012 in Ohio against Fairleigh Dickinson University and in Omaha, Nebraska against Arkansas State University in 2008.
They won the series 4-2 (in a best of 7 match).
The team was led by All-Tournament players Jessica Worsley (who was named the tournament MVP) and Maria Rodriguez.
With the series win, UMES became the first HBCU to win a women's NCAA national championship.
 The UMES women also won their second 2011 NCAA Bowling Championship in Taylor, Michigan against Vanderbilt University, also winning the series 4-2 (in a best of 7 match).
Kristina Frahm (named tournament MVP) and Maria Rodriguez were named to the All-Tournament team en route to their victory.
That season, along with the NCAA Championship, UMES also won the USBC Team Championships over Lindenwood University as well as the MEAC Championship.
 In 2007, the women's bowling team came in 2nd at the NCAA National Championship in Orlando, Florida and fell to Vanderbilt in a 4–3 series.
The team was led by All-Tournament players Marion Singleton and Jessica Worsley.
The UMES women's bowling team also won the MEAC Championship in 2000, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

UMES men's basketball is coached by Bobby Collins.
 The school led the nation in scoring during the 1973–1974 season with 97.6 points per game, including future NBA picks Rubin Collins, Talvin Skinner, William Gordon and Joe Pace.
 The team defeated Manhattan College 84-81 in the first round of the 1974 NIT and fell to Jacksonville University 85-83 in the quarterfinals.
 The team has never played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

During the 2010–11 season, UMES had a men's and women's basketball player surpass the 1,000-career point mark.
 Hillary Haley passed the mark on the men's side with a 24-point performance against Coppin State on February 19, including his first season at St. Bonaventure.
 On the women's side, Casey Morton scored 10 points against Savannah State to surpass the mark, finishing with 1,230 in four years with the Lady Hawks.
 The next season, Adobi Agbasi finished third in Division I in blocks per game with 3.72 per contest, becoming the all-time shot-blocker in UMES women's basketball history with 239 total blocks, achieving that mark on March 1, 2012 against Savannah State.

In 2011, the Hawks men's outdoor track team was ranked third in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Associa
UMES was one of the founding members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 1970.  The school left the MEAC in 1979 but re-joined in 1981 and has been a member ever since. The Hawks compete in 15 sports at the Division I level: seven men's and eight women's.  Prior to 1970, the university was a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in Division II.
The school was once a powerhouse in black college football, producing five undefeated seasons between 1947 and 1960. Like many smaller colleges, the high costs associated with operating an NCAA Division I football program and complying with the federal Title IX gender-equity law became too much of a burden, and subsequently the team was disbanded following the 1979 season.
In 1948, Maryland State College and Albright College played one of the first intercollegiate football game between an historically black institution and a majority-white institution.
After a consultant produced a study in 2012 on the feasibility of reinstating football, President Dr. Juliette B. Bell put together a task force to weigh whether football should be reinstated.  On Feb. 28, 2013, the decision was to continue without football, but that the topic "may be revisited" in five years.
NFL player and coach Art Shell attended UMES.
UMES is tied with Florida State for the most alumni appearing in a single Super Bowl game. In the 1968 game (Super Bowl III) between the New York Jets and the Baltimore Colts, UMES was represented by four alumni: Earl Christy (1961–1964), Johnny Sample (1954–1957), Emerson Boozer (1962–1965), and Charlie Stukes (1963–1967).
The UMES women's bowling team won the NCAA Bowling Championship in 2012 in Ohio against Fairleigh Dickinson University and in Omaha, Nebraska against Arkansas State University in 2008. They won the series 4-2 (in a best of 7 match). The team was led by All-Tournament players Jessica Worsley (who was named the tournament MVP) and Maria Rodriguez. With the series win, UMES became the first HBCU to win a women's NCAA national championship.  The UMES women also won their second 2011 NCAA Bowling Championship in Taylor, Michigan against Vanderbilt University, also winning the series 4-2 (in a best of 7 match). Kristina Frahm (named tournament MVP) and Maria Rodriguez were named to the All-Tournament team en route to their victory. That season, along with the NCAA Championship, UMES also won the USBC Team Championships over Lindenwood University as well as the MEAC Championship.  In 2007, the women's bowling team came in 2nd at the NCAA National Championship in Orlando, Florida and fell to Vanderbilt in a 4–3 series. The team was led by All-Tournament players Marion Singleton and Jessica Worsley. The UMES women's bowling team also won the MEAC Championship in 2000, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
UMES men's basketball is coached by Bobby Collins.  The school led the nation in scoring during the 1973–1974 season with 97.6 points per game, including future NBA picks Rubin Collins, Talvin Skinner, William Gordon and Joe Pace.  The team defeated Manhattan College 84-81 in the first round of the 1974 NIT and fell to Jacksonville University 85-83 in the quarterfinals.  The team has never played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
During the 2010–11 season, UMES had a men's and women's basketball player surpass the 1,000-career point mark.  Hillary Haley passed the mark on the men's side with a 24-point performance against Coppin State on February 19, including his first season at St. Bonaventure.  On the women's side, Casey Morton scored 10 points against Savannah State to surpass the mark, finishing with 1,230 in four years with the Lady Hawks.  The next season, Adobi Agbasi finished third in Division I in blocks per game with 3.72 per contest, becoming the all-time shot-blocker in UMES women's basketball history with 239 total blocks, achieving that mark on March 1, 2012 against Savannah State.
In 2011, the Hawks men's outdoor track team was ranked third in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Associa
University of Maryland Eastern Shore