The University of Massachusetts Amherst in being represented in NCAA Division I sports competition by the athletic teams called UMass Minutemen. But actually the Minutemen nickname applies only to the men's teams and athletes only but on the contrary, the women's teams and athletes are known as Minutewomen.

The Minutemen and Minutewomen compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Minutemen football team has been a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association football conference since the year 2007.

The UMass Football team competes at the NCAA Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) level, having won one national title in that subdivision in the year 1998. The Minutemen were the finalists in the years 1978 and 2006 on the national level. UMass has also competed in three football conferences over its history, the Yankee Conference, the Atlantic 10 and the Colonial Athletic Association (which are basically 3 incarnations of the same conference).

The year 2006 season was the final season under which the football team competed in the Atlantic 10, as the A-10 Football Conference disbanded after the season with all current teams moving to the CAA. They defeated Montana by a margin of 19-17 to advance to the championship game (first time since the year 1998). UMass lost to Appalachian State in the national championship game by a score of 28-17 and finished the season with a record of 13-2. The achievements are uncountable but the major ones are worth listing. UMass has captured a total of 22 conference championships and the most recent one being a share of the CAA title in the year 2007.