Northern Illinois University competes in NCAA Division I-A.
| Name | Participants | |
|---|---|---|
| Men | Women | |
| Baseball | 35 | 0 |
| Basketball | 16 | 23 |
| All Track Combined | 0 | 84 |
| Football | 114 | 0 |
| Golf | 10 | 11 |
| Gymnastics | 0 | 20 |
| Soccer | 27 | 26 |
| Softball | 0 | 25 |
| Tennis | 10 | 11 |
| Volleyball | 0 | 18 |
| Wrestling | 30 | 0 |