The team currently competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 2001. They joined Division I competition in 1981–82. Although the team has competed in NCAA Division I and has been a member of three separate conferences, the men’s basketball team has yet to win a conference championship in either the regular season or conference tournament. YSU joined the NCAA in 1960 and competed at the Division II level from 1960 to 1981, joining the Mid-Continent Conference in 1978. During their tenure in Division II, the Penguins qualified for the NCAA tournament nine times and had an overall record of 8–11 in tournament play, advancing as far as the regional finals in 1972.