Basketball has long presence at NYU. It began as an intra-school sport in 1897, only six years after the game was invented by Dr. James Naismith. Varsity competition began in 1906. The team, led by a student captain, won six of eight games the first year. Two years later the NYU Violets recorded their first undefeated season, winning all 13 games played. During the 1919-1920 season, the Violets achieved a 16-1 record and took part in the National Championship Tournament in Atlanta, where they won four straight games and became the National and World Champions. Howard Cann, who would go on to coach at NYU for 35 seasons, was voted the best player at that tournament. NYU teams would later practice in a gym on the University Heights campus made of two joined barns and nicknamed Cann's Barn.

A decade later the Violets were playing at Madison Square Garden. Among the early stars of the team were All-American Hagan Anderson, Milt Schulman, Jerry Fleishman, Sid Tanenbaum, Don Forman, Dolph Schayes, Cal Ramsey, Tom "Satch" Sanders, Mal Graham, Barry Kramer, and Boris Nachamkin. These athletes led NYU into the NCAA Division I Championships five times between 1919 and 1960. The Violets were popular among the students, alumni, and the community, and the games were big sellers at Madison Square Garden.

By the 1970s, the University was in a dire financial situation and cut the basketball program in an effort to balance the its budget. Following a gradual improvement in the school's financial standing, NYU reintroduced basketball in 1983 in Division III competition under Coach Mike Muzio.

Women's basketball dates back to 1923. It was initially considered a "co-ed activity" until the 1930s, when it became a varsity sport. The University has had several winning teams since that time. Today the women's basketball team is one of the top teams at NYU and won the Division III Championship in 1997 with Coach Janice Quinn and players Marsha Harris and Jen Krolikowski.

NYU's baseball program was established in the 1870s as something akin to a club sport. The move to the University Heights campus in 1894, with its expansive athletic facilities and fields, allowed the NYU baseball team to become a legitimate intercollegiate competitor. The team was not very successful in its early years, however, with the varsity team losing all but one of 13 games in 1902.

The team did experience a resurgence in the 1920s under coach William McCarthy. Between 1922 and 1961, he led the NYU Violets to 476 victories and 258 losses. Among the outstanding players of the 1920s was George "Kiddo" Davis, the first NYU baseball starter to break into the major leagues. In 1927, Davis signed with the New York Yankees, and six years later the Yankees won the World Series. Numerous other baseball alumni would go on to play in the major leagues. By the early 1970s the University's financial situation was critical, and radical changes to the overall budget were necessary. The University Heights campus was sold, and the baseball team was cut. With the loss of the Bronx campus there was no space to practice or play home games. Baseball was reinstated in 1996 as a club sport. It joined the NCBA and played in Division II, District II alongside Hofstra University, Cabrini College, and Rider University.

Varsity baseball returned to NYU in spring 2015 as a Division III sport when NYU-Poly, which had its own team, officially became part of NYU.

Fencing became a varsity sport in 1923. The NYU fencing team has attracted talented athletes and has regularly sent students and alumni to compete in the Olympics. From the late 1950s to the 1970s the men's fencing team was one of the best in the nation, earning 12 national titles between 1947 and 1976. The women's team has also been very successful, winning national championships 10 times. Both teams continue to compete in NCAA Division I. Twenty-eight NYU fencers competed at the Olympics between 1928-1984. Of these 28, one competed for Finland, one for Italy, and the rest for the United States.

Men's fencing results for 1927-2014 can be found in Archives H. Women's fencing results for 1928-2014 can be found in Archives H.

The NYU football team was founded in 1873. It was one of the first university-sponsored teams in the U.S., preceded only by Princeton, Rutgers, and Yale. During its inaugural season, NYU lost its only game, to the Stevens Institute of Technology, which was also a brand new team.

Few documents from NYU football's early years have survived, but existing records indicate few wins early on. Following the acquisition of the University Heights campus in 1894, the team began playing and practicing on Ohio Field.

NYU was integral to the regulation of college athletics in the early 20th century, helping to found the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, precursor to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The late 1920s became known as the "Golden Era" of NYU football. The school played a number of games at the new Yankee Stadium, and coach John Meehan led the team to 49 wins and only 15 losses. When Meehan left in 1931, the team was unable to continue its earlier successes, in part because World War II drained the player pool and financial resources.

After the war, the team tried to recapture its previous popularity and success, but increased funds did not lead to increasing interest or ticket sales. In 1953 the team was disbanded. Football made a short return in 1964 as a club sport but never caught on and was officially discontinued in 1967 because of lack of interest.