The Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior was established by the Ministry of Education & Culture, Government of India as Lakshmibai College of Physical Education (LCPE) in August 1957, the centenary year of the War of Independence and located at Gwalior, where Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, a valiant heroine of the war, had laid down her life during the First Freedom Struggle in 1857.

The Institute started as an affiliated college of the Vikram University, Ujjain and then came to the folds of Jiwaji University, Gwalior in 1964. The Institute was given the status of National importance, and hence it was renamed as Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) in1973. In recognition of its unique status and character and to facilitate its further growth, the college was conferred the status of an ’Autonomous College’ of Jiwaji University, Gwalior in 1982.

In further recognition of the unique educational services rendered by the institute in the field of Physical Education, Sports and Research, the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development conferred the status of a “Deemed to be University” in September 1995 under Section 3 of U.G.C. Act, 1956 vide notification no. F. 9-14/92-U.3  dated 21.09.1995 Hence, University was again renamed as Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE). The Institute is the first “Deemed to be University” in the field of Physical Education in India and enjoys a unique place of its kind in South Asia. On 14 Jan’09, the Institute was renamed as Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education (LNUPE).

Since 2000, the Institute comes under the administrative jurisdiction of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India.  It is fully funded by the Ministry for plan and non-plan expenditure.