Whitworth University student athletes put academics first, but the Pirates take care of business on the field as well.

In the last 20 years, more than 90 Whitworth athletes have been named Academic All-Americans and more than 100 have received All-America recognition. Just since 2000, four Pirate teams have achieved the highest average GPA in NCAA Division III for their respective sports, and 17 teams have captured Northwest Conference championships. The Pirates won the Northwest Conference McIlroy-Lewis Trophy for the best combined standings across all sports in 2005 and were runners-up in 2006.

About a third of Whitworth's students compete in one or more of the 20 varsity sports offered by the college. Opportunities for men include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, swimming, tennis and track & field (indoor/outdoor). Women can compete in basketball, cross country, golf, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field (indoor/outdoor) and volleyball. In addition, hundreds of students participate in Whitworth's popular intramural athletics, ranging from ultimate Frisbee and basketball to soccer and water polo.