The first athletic team at Carleton, dating back to 1887. The Knights have four conference titles to their credit, including the 1991 MIAC title. The 1991 team holds the school record for most wins in a season with 24, while the 2009 Knights tallied 21 wins to earn their first MIAC playoff berth. Carleton plays its games at Knights Field, a new facility near the Recreation Center.

Carleton has qualified for the MIAC Playoffs 15 times in the last 20 years. the Knights won the 2005-06 MIAC title and advanced to the 2006 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. In 2010 Carleton won its first ever MIAC Playoffs title and advanced to the NCAA tournament, where the Knights fell to the eventual national champion by one point on the road. Head coach Guy Kalland is the all-time wins leader in Carleton history.

The men's cross country team has accrued an impressive record since its beginning as a club sport in the early 1930s, and it has been particularly formidable over the past two decades. Carleton harriers won every Midwest Conference championship from 1974-82, placed in the top 10 at the national championships seven times during that span, and won a national title in 1980. The Knights won MIAC crowns in 1994, 1995, and 2002. Carleton runners have earned 21 All-America citations, paced by four-time honoree Dale Kramer '78, who also captured two individual national titles.

Carleton is the highest-ranked school in America that offers a full 10-game schedule and is eligible for the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. The Knights have 61 winning seasons and more than 450 wins in the history of the program. In 2008 the Knights posted a 7-3 mark, the second-highest win total over the previous 50 season, they played for the MIAC title and earned their first national ranking in 15 years. Over the last six seasons Carleton has established school records for passing, receiving, forced turnovers, sacks and tackling and has also had an All-American on both offense and defense.

Men's golf has one of the longest and most storied histories of any athletic program at Carleton. The Knights sport an individual national champion in Wally Ulrich '47, who captured the national title against Division I competition. The team won 12 Midwest Conference titles before moving to the MIAC in 1983. The Knights best finish is 6th in the MIAC (1986, 2002).

Winners of five MIAC regular-season titles over the last six seasons (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012) the Knights have posted 12 winning seasons in the past 13 years in one of the most competitive men's soccer conferences in the country. Carleton owns a 46-8-6 record (.767) in conference games over the last five seasons. Branden McGarrity '16 and defender Neil Bartholomay '14 were named All-Americans for their performances during the 2012 season, while head coach Bob Carlson was named MIAC Coach-of-the-Year. The squad has also received 16 straight team academic awards and its 2011-2012 GPA was eighth among Division III NCAA men's soccer programs.

Since 1995 the Knights have produced 121 all-conference performances (top-three finishes), 34 individual conference titles, 15 All-Americans, 12 Honorable Mention All-Americans and have placed in forth or better in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Championships (MIAC) Championships 14 times, highlighted by a third place finish in 2008.

The Knights are one of the strongest programs in the MIAC, finishing among the top two in the standings from 2003-2011. Carleton won the 2010 MIAC Playoffs and has made three NCAA Championships appearances (1985, 2004, and 2010). The 2010 squad finished the year ranked 29th in the nation and the program has regularly been ranked among the regions top 15 teams. In 2012, the squad finished the regular season with a record-tying 21 victories and had three members awarded All-Conference honors. The team has also enjoyed success in the classroom, annually being named an ITA All-Academic Team.

Men's track and field has been one of the most successful programs at Carleton, sporting three individual national titles and a total of 69 All-American performances of the last 35 years. The Knights produced four All-Americans over the last decade with the group responsible for several MIAC titles. In 2003 Matt Hooley '04 placed sixth in the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Indoor Championships, and Dan Bucy '05 placed sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Steve Harris '06 finished third in the 5,000-meter run at the 2006 NCAA indoor meet and Tome Ballinger '09 earned All-America honors for three straight years in the 400-meter hurdles.