The archive of the Athletics Department is the only complete archive covering Ivy League athletics. Housed in its present location since 1932, it consists of photographs of individual athletes and teams; photographs covering track events date from 1865, football from 1872 and women’s events from 1972. Some items overlap with material now in Yale Library’s Department of Manuscripts and Archives, although the material held in the Athletics archive is probably more thoroughly catalogued.

Most photographs are now in digital form, although prints are made for captain, coach, and team photograph collages that line the corridors of Payne Whitney Gymnasium. There is also a large collection of video and film, most of which has been transferred to the Yale University Library Shelving Facility, with copies on DVD. The files are arranged to efficiently meet requests for individual athletes, coaches, and each sport, year by year. Where possible at least two prints of each photograph have been archived.