Norse has been a common term for Norsemen in the early medieval period, especially in connection with raids and monastic plundering by Norsemen in the British Isles (i.e. The university's teams for both men and women are nicknamed 'Norse.' NKU is an NCAA Division I school competing in the Horizon League, which it joined on July 1, 2015, after leaving the Atlantic Sun Conference.

The Northern Kentucky Norse are the athletic teams of Northern Kentucky University, located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States. Athletic program of Northern Kentucky University Northern Kentucky Norse