Forgiveness and empathy are fundamental psychosocial processes that regulate individuals’ interpersonal relationships and support social harmony; sport environments represent important social contexts in which these processes may develop. This study aimed to examine whether forgiveness tendencies among university students differ according to sport participation and sport-related variables within the context of empathy levels. The study was conducted using a correlational survey design with 206 participants aged 18–25. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Heartland Forgiveness Scale, and the Cognitive and Affective Empathy Scale. Independent samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed in the analyses. The findings indicated that total forgiveness scores and their subdimensions did not differ significantly according to sport participation, gender, sport type, or age of sport initiation (p>0,05). However, gender-based differences were observed in empathy levels; female participants demonstrated higher scores in instant imitation, cognitive empathy, environmental sensitivity, and total empathy (p<0,05). This study aims to contribute to the limited literature by examining the relationship between forgiveness and empathic processes in the sport context. The findings suggest that forgiveness may be more closely associated with individuals’ empathic capacity than with the quantity of sport participation. The results highlight the importance of strengthening social climates that support empathy in sport environments. Accordingly, developing social environments that foster empathy in sport settings may contribute to strengthening forgiveness tendencies.