The Department of Physical Education of the University of Kerala, one among the pioneer Physical Education Departments in India came into existence in 1939 under the leadership of the first Director Sri. P. I. Alexander. At the inception the Department was the part of the erstwhile Travancore University. The Travancore University will go down in history as the first ever University in India to start a Department specifically for Physical Education. The Department during that period was housed in the old Military Barracks Compound at Palayam and remained there till 1962. With the completion of the University Stadium in 1963, the Department was shifted to the present premises where it has been functioning since then. The Department is proud to look back hosting a very significant Annual General Body meeting of the Association of Indian Universities way back in 1941 in which the Rules & Regulations for Inter University Competitions were framed. The prestigious University Stadium with its sprawling eight acres and forty cents of prime property in the heart of the Thiruvananthapuram city and the magnificent land mark, the G.V. Raja Pavilion is the hub of all sporting activities of the University of Kerala.

The Department being the pioneer in India has produced many outstanding Sports personalities who had brought laurels to the nation and the state in national and international competitions. The University of Kerala has many distinctions to its credit; achieved laurels at all India levels and produced a good number of Inter National players. A number of its alumni have bagged coveted Arjuna, Khel Ratna and Dronacharya Awards over the period of time. The University has also bagged the coveted Dr. B.L Gupta Trophy for General Championship in Inter University Sports and Games during 1981-82, 1982-83, 1991-92 and 1992-93. The Department is dedicated to the cause of shaping young and promising sports persons in the coming years.