Basketball was first played on the Seattle Pacific University campus in 1922 in what amounted to intramural contests. Games were played in an open-air, earthen-floor gym on the site of what is now Moyer Hall.

Initially the Free Methodist Church prohibited its colleges from participating in intercollegiate athletics. Select teams, called varsity at the time, scheduled games with local churches and service clubs. In 1943-44 basketball became a full-fledged intercollegiate sport under Wesley Walls, playing eight games against four college teams.

During the 1950s, with the approval of the church and the administration, athletic director and head coach Ken Foreman built a new gymnasium—Royal Brougham Pavilion—and expanded the schedule as Seattle Pacific became affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). In 1957, Les Habegger succeeded Foreman as coach, and proceeded to lead SPU to the NAIA playoffs three of his first four years.

The school aligned itself with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1962. Under Habegger, the Falcons emerged as a regional power and national contender, qualifying for the NCAA tournament five times from 1962-72, reaching the quarterfinal round in 1965.

Seattle Pacific was an NCAA independent until 1982. It competed in the Pacific West Conference until becoming a charter member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2001. During Ken Bone's 12-year tenure as coach, Seattle Pacific either tied for first place or won conference championships six times, and his teams qualified for the NCAA playoffs eight of the last nine seasons, and reached the Sweet Sixteen in five of those years. The Falcons' advancement to the semifinal stage of the NCAA Elite Eight and 27-5 record in 2000 were the best in school history. Jeff Hironaka’s 2006 team again won the West title and also made the final four.

Seattle Pacific owns the distinction of being affiliated with NCAA Division II longer than any other Northwest basketball program, and the Falcons have made more NCAA tournament appearances (17) than any other GNAC member.