Colby College Athletics

Colby competes in NCAA Division III, where sports focus on personal development rather than athletic scholarships or packed stadiums. With 693 total athletes among 2,282 students, roughly 30% of the student body participates in varsity athletics across 30 different sports. The Mules compete in the strong New England Small College Athletic Conference alongside top liberal arts schools. Colby maintains fierce rivalries with fellow Maine schools Bates and Bowdoin in what's known as the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) rivalry, one of the oldest three-way rivalries in college sports. The school is particularly known for strong programs in Nordic skiing, given Maine's snowy winters, and has produced several Olympic-level cross-country skiers. The 9:1 student-faculty ratio extends to athletic programs, where coaches provide individualized attention to help student-athletes balance rigorous academics with competitive sports.