Bates Bobcats

The Bates Bobcats are the athletic teams of Bates College largely based in Lewiston, Maine and the surrounding areas. The college's official mascot has been the bobcat since 1924, and maintains garnet as its official color. The school sponsors 32 varsity sports (16 men's, 16 women's), most of which compete in the Division III as a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Bates has rivalries with Princeton in Squash and Dartmouth in Skiing and selected hockey bouts. The college competes with its Maine rivals Bowdoin and Colby in the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium (CBB). This is one of the oldest football rivalries in the United States. The three colleges contest the Chase Regatta with the CBB. The college is the all-time leader of the Chase Regatta with a total of 14 wins.

Bates maintains 31 varsity teams, and 9 club teams, including sailing, cycling, ice hockey, rugby, and water polo. According to U.S. Rowing, the Women's rowing team was ranked first in the NESCAC, and first overall in NCAA Division III rowing in 2016. In April 2005, the college's athletic program was ranked in the top 5% of national athletics programs. As of 2026, the college has graduated a total of 12 Olympians, one of whom won the Olympic gold medal rowing for Canada. The Bobcats have broken records on the state, regional and national level. In the 2015 season, the women's rowing team was the most decorated rowing team in collegiate racing. Bates has the 5th highest NESCAC title hold, and holds the top titles in women's and men's rowing. Bates follows Bowdoin's 30 NESCAC titles with its 16, and its followed by Colby's 9 titles.