Live rankings, player stats, tournament updates, and everything you need to follow the NCAA lacrosse season from first faceoff to championship Monday.
Updated: May 2026
NCAA college lacrosse is the highest level of amateur lacrosse in the United States, featuring over 500 programs across Division I, II, and III for both men and women. Division I programs offer athletic scholarships, compete in power conferences, and produce the majority of pro players. The season runs from February through Memorial Day, culminating in championship tournaments broadcast on ESPN. Whether you're a recruit, fan, or parent, understanding the college landscape helps you appreciate the sport's depth and find your path forward.
| Team / Detail | Record / Info | Status / Seed |
|---|---|---|
| Men's DI Teams | 78 | Full scholarships |
| Men's DII Teams | 78 | Partial scholarships |
| Men's DIII Teams | 248 | No scholarships |
| Women's DI Teams | 117 | Full scholarships |
| Championship Format | 18-team (M) / 29-team (W) | Single elimination |
| 2026 Men's Final | May 25, Charlottesville, VA | Scott Stadium |
| 2026 Women's Final | May 24, Evanston, IL | Northwestern |
How many college lacrosse teams are there?
There are over 500 NCAA lacrosse programs: 78 men's DI, 78 men's DII, 248 men's DIII, 117 women's DI, and additional DII/DIII women's programs. Club lacrosse (MCLA, NCLL) adds hundreds more teams.
When is the college lacrosse season?
The NCAA season runs from February through Memorial Day. Conference tournaments happen in late April, the NCAA selection show is the first Sunday in May, and the championship is Memorial Day weekend.
How does a team qualify for the NCAA tournament?
Teams qualify via automatic bids (winning their conference tournament) or at-large selections by the NCAA committee. Men's DI has 18 teams (10 auto-bids, 8 at-large). Women's DI has 29 teams (15 auto-bids, 14 at-large).
Updated: May 18, 2026
The 2026 men's tournament Final Four is set. #1 Princeton 14, #8 Penn State 10 — Tigers outscored Nittany Lions 5-0 in final 14 minutes; Andrew McMeekin dominated faceoffs (19-of-27, 12 GBs), Tucker Wade 4G, Chad Palumbo 3G/2A (101st career goal). Duke 16, Georgetown 6 — Most lopsided QF since 2021; Max Sloat 4G/1A, Benn Johnston 3G, Duke held Georgetown scoreless for 32+ minutes; Hoya's 12th consecutive QF loss. Saturday QFs: Syracuse upset #3 North Carolina 13-11 (Spallina 6 pts, 6-0 run) and Notre Dame beat Hopkins 15-9 (Yago 7 pts). Championship Weekend at Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA: #1 Princeton vs Duke (Sat May 23, 12 PM ET), Syracuse vs Notre Dame. Dominic Pietramala set an NCAA tournament single-game record with 10 goals vs UAlbany. USA Lacrosse All-Americans announced May 7. USILA Week 13 Poll (May 4): Princeton #1, Notre Dame #2, Richmond #3, North Carolina #4, Virginia #5.
| Team / Detail | Record / Info | Status / Seed |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Princeton | 15-2 | #1 Seed → Final Four |
| 2. Notre Dame | 9-1 | #2 Seed → Final Four |
| 3. North Carolina | 10-4 | Eliminated by Syracuse 11-13 QF |
| 4. Richmond | 10-2 | Eliminated by Duke 12-14 1st Rd |
| 5. Virginia | 7-6 | Eliminated by Georgetown 10-14 1st Rd |
| 6. Syracuse | 12-3 | Final Four (Beat Yale 16-15, UNC 13-11) |
| 7. Cornell | 8-4 | Eliminated by Hopkins 8-9 (OT) |
| 8. Penn State | 10-7 | Eliminated by Princeton 10-14 QF |
| 9. Georgetown | 11-6 | Eliminated by Duke 6-16 QF |
| 10. Johns Hopkins | 10-7 | Eliminated by ND 9-15 QF |
| 11. Duke | 11-5 | Final Four (Beat Richmond 14-12, Georgetown 16-6) |
| 12. Yale | 13-5 | Eliminated by Syracuse 15-16 |
| 13. Harvard | 9-2 | Did not advance |
| 14. Army | 14-4 | Lost to Penn State 6-10 |
| 15. Maryland | 6-4 | Did not qualify |
Updated: May 15, 2026
The 2026 women's tournament is in the semifinal round after a dramatic quarterfinal Thursday. Northwestern earned the #1 overall seed and hosts the Final Four at Martin Stadium. All four quarterfinals were decided by 3 goals or fewer, with two going to overtime. #4 Johns Hopkins 13, #5 Stony Brook 12 — Taylor Hoss scored at the buzzer to send JHU to its first-ever Final Four after Reagan O'Brien forced two late turnovers; Hoss had a career-best 9 pts (3G, 6A), Ava Angello broke JHU single-season & career goal records (78 G, 236 career). #1 Northwestern 13, #8 Colorado 12 (2OT) — Noel Cumberland's golden goal in double OT after NU trailed by 3 in the 2nd half; Madison Taylor 5 pts (4G, 1A), NU outdrew Colorado 20-8. #3 Maryland 14, #6 Navy 10 — Terps' 4th-quarter surge; 6 different Terps scored multiple goals; Navy's Alyssa Chung scored 7 pts despite Maddy Sterling's defense; Maryland returns to semis for first time since 2022. #2 North Carolina 14, Stanford 11 — UNC advances to 15th semifinal. Final Four at Martin Stadium, Evanston, May 22-24: #4 Johns Hopkins vs #1 Northwestern, #3 Maryland vs #2 North Carolina. IWLCA Final Poll (Week 13): North Carolina #1 (16-1), Northwestern #2 (15-3), Maryland #3, Johns Hopkins #4, Navy #5.
| Team / Detail | Record / Info | Status / Seed |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northwestern | 17-3 | #1 Seed (Beat Colorado 13-12 2OT) |
| 2. North Carolina | 18-1 | #2 Seed (Beat Stanford 14-11) |
| 3. Maryland | 17-3 | #3 Seed (Beat Navy 14-10) |
| 4. Johns Hopkins | 17-4 | #4 Seed (Beat Stony Brook 13-12) |
| 5. Stony Brook | 19-3 | #5 Seed (Eliminated by JHU 12-13) |
| 6. Navy | 18-2 | #6 Seed (Eliminated by Maryland 10-14) |
| 7. Michigan | 12-7 | #7 Seed (Eliminated) |
| 8. Colorado | 16-4 | #8 Seed (Eliminated by NU 12-13 2OT) |
| 9. Florida | 15-3 | Eliminated (1st Round) |
| 10. Stanford | 15-5 | Eliminated by UNC 11-14 |
| 11. Syracuse | 13-5 | Lost to Navy OT 10-11 |
| 12. Denver | 15-3 | Lost to Colorado 9-11 |
| 13. Boston College | 11-6 | Lost to Stony Brook 9-10 |
| 14. Rutgers | 11-7 | Beat Princeton, lost to Maryland |
| 15. Clemson | 14-5 | Lost to UNC 6-17 |
Updated: May 15, 2026
The 2026 season has produced standout performers across every position. These leaderboards show the top 3 players at each position for both men's and women's Division I, ranked by the stats that matter most for their role. 🏆 2026 Tewaaraton Finalists: Men — Owen Duffy (UNC), Willem Firth (Cornell), Nate Kabiri (Princeton), Shawn Lyght (Notre Dame), Joey Spallina (Syracuse). Women — Alyssa Chung (Navy), Brigid Duffy (Army), Chloe Humphrey (UNC), Reagan O'Brien (Johns Hopkins), Madison Taylor (Northwestern). Winner announced May 28. 🏅 2026 USA Lacrosse All-Americans (May 7): First Team includes Willem Firth (A), Nate Kabiri (A), Joey Spallina (A), Brady Wambach (FO), Ryan Croddick (G), and Shawn Lyght (D). Princeton led all programs with 8 selections; Richmond, Syracuse, Notre Dame & North Carolina had 6 each.
Updated: May 18, 2026
Latest results from the NCAA lacrosse tournaments. Men's Sunday QFs: #1 Princeton 14, Penn State 10 (5-0 run to close); Duke 16, Georgetown 6 (most lopsided QF since 2021). Men's Saturday QFs: Syracuse 13, #3 UNC 11; Notre Dame 15, Hopkins 9. DIII semifinal Sunday: Tufts 23, Wesleyan (CT) 7 — Jumbos advance to championship vs RIT. DII semifinals Sunday: Adelphi 19, Molloy 4; Tampa 13, Anderson (SC) 7 — rematch of 2025 title game. Men's Final Four set: #1 Princeton vs Duke, Syracuse vs Notre Dame (May 23, Charlottesville). Women's semifinals May 22: #4 JHU vs #1 Northwestern, #3 Maryland vs #2 North Carolina (Evanston).
#1 Princeton advances to Final Four with 5-0 run in final 14 minutes. Andrew McMeekin dominated faceoffs (19-of-27, 12 GBs); Tucker Wade 4G; Chad Palumbo 3G/2A (101st career goal). Princeton reaches 12th Final Four. Penn State finishes 10-7.
Duke rolls into 15th Championship Weekend — most lopsided QF since 2021. Max Sloat 4G/1A, Benn Johnston 3G. Georgetown went 32+ minutes without a goal after scoring first. Hoya's 12th consecutive QF loss. Duke is first unseeded team to reach Final Four since 2017 Towson.
Tufts 23, Wesleyan (CT) 7 — Defending champions dominate, advance to face RIT in championship game May 24
#1 Adelphi 19, #3 Molloy 4 — Panthers dominant; Braden Donnellan 7 assists, Michael Durning 5G. Adelphi aims for 3rd straight DII title.
#1 Tampa 13, #7 Anderson (SC) 7 — Spartans advance; Aaron Cho 4G/1A, Rex Kesselring hat trick. Rematch of 2025 title game vs Adelphi set for May 24.
Notre Dame advances to Championship Weekend for 3rd time in 4 years. Josh Yago career-high 7 pts (4G, 3A), Matt Jeffery 5 pts (2G, 3A). Irish broke open 6-6 halftime tie with dominant 2nd half. Hopkins finishes 10-6.
Syracuse upsets #3 UNC — Orange overcame 6-2 deficit with 6-0 run. Joey Spallina 6 pts (3G, 3A), Johnny Mullen won 14-of-27 faceoffs vs Brady Wambach. Finn Thomson GWG, Jimmy McCool 12 saves. Syracuse returns to Final Four.
#1 Tufts 22, York (PA) 9 — Defending champions dominate, advance to face Wesleyan in semifinal
Wesleyan (CT) 15, Christopher Newport 7 — Cardinals advance to face Tufts in semifinal
RIT 16, Bowdoin 12 — Tigers advance to DIII championship game; RIT beat Bowdoin for 2nd time this season
#5 Stony Brook 19, Stonehill 5 — Seawolves roll past Skyhawks
Rutgers 12, Princeton 11 — Scarlet Knights upset in-state rival
#4 Johns Hopkins 21, UAlbany 7 — Blue Jays dominate Great Danes
#6 Navy 17, UMass 16 — Midshipmen survive high-scoring affair
#7 Michigan 18, Mercer 8 — Wolverines advance comfortably
Boston College 10, Yale 4 — Eagles roll past Bulldogs
James Madison 13, Notre Dame 12 — Dukes edge Fighting Irish
Clemson 19, Davidson 6 — Tigers roll past Davidson
Army 20, Fairfield 8 — Black Knights dominate
#8 Colorado 10, Jacksonville 9 — Buffaloes edge Dolphins
Stanford 7, Penn State 5 — Cardinal advance past Nittany Lions
Syracuse 8, Loyola Maryland 6 — Orange hold off Greyhounds
Denver 18, Florida 8 — Pioneers dominate Gators
#2 Notre Dame 18, Jacksonville 5 — Fighting Irish dominant; Luke Miller 5 goals, Thomas Ricciardelli 17 saves
#1 Princeton 17, Marist 8 — Chad Palumbo 6 goals, Nate Kabiri 3G/5A, Ryan Croddick 14 saves
#6 Syracuse 16, Yale 15 — Orange survive thriller, Joey Spallina leads
Georgetown 14, #5 Virginia 10 — MAJOR UPSET: Hoyas' first-ever win over Cavaliers, never trailed after halftime
#3 North Carolina 24, UAlbany 6 — Dominic Pietramala sets NCAA tournament record with 10 goals, also breaks UNC career goals record (129, passing Bert Fett's 128)
#8 Penn State 10, Army 6 — #8 seed holds off tough Army squad
Johns Hopkins 9, #7 Cornell 8 (OT) — Dramatic overtime upset, #7 seed Cornell eliminated
Duke 14, #4 Richmond 12 — #4 seed Richmond upset by ACC rival Duke
#4 Johns Hopkins 21, Army 13 — Blue Jays offense rolls into quarterfinals
#3 Maryland 11, Rutgers 8 — Terps advance to face Navy in quarterfinals
#2 North Carolina 17, Clemson 6 — Chloe Humphrey leads dominant Heels
#5 Stony Brook 10, Boston College 9 — Seawolves edge Eagles in thriller
Stanford 13, #7 Michigan 12 — UPSET: Stanford knocks off 7-seed Wolverines
#6 Navy 11, Syracuse 10 (OT) — Full 4th quarter comeback, OT winner for Midshipmen
#1 Northwestern 17, James Madison 5 — Wildcats dominant at home
#8 Colorado 11, Denver 9 — Buffaloes advance to face Northwestern
#2 Bowdoin 20, Hope 7 — Polar Bears set school record with 19th win; end Hope's unbeaten season; Huck Trafton 4G/1A
RIT 21, #3 Babson 14 — Erich Acton career-high 7G + 3A; Ryan Sanders 4G/7A (11 pts); RIT forces 22 turnovers
#1 Adelphi 12, #4 Pace 5 — Panthers roll into semifinals
#1 Tampa 12, #4 Lewis 9 — Spartans advance to semifinals
#3 Molloy 12, Saint Michael's 7 — Lions advance
#7 Anderson (SC) 9, #6 Lenoir-Rhyne 7 — Trojans continue Cinderella run into semifinals
Marist 10, Stony Brook 6 — Marist advances to face #1 Princeton
Jacksonville 13, Robert Morris 7 — Jacksonville advances to face #2 Notre Dame
#4 Johns Hopkins 13, #5 Stony Brook 12 — BUZZER BEATER: Taylor Hoss scores at horn; Reagan O'Brien forced 2 late turnovers; JHU's first-ever Final Four; Hoss career-best 9 pts (3G, 6A), Angello broke single-season & career goal records (78G, 236 career)
#1 Northwestern 13, #8 Colorado 12 (2OT) — Noel Cumberland golden goal in double OT; NU trailed by 3 in 2nd half; Madison Taylor 5 pts; NU outdrew Colorado 20-8
#3 Maryland 14, #6 Navy 10 — 4th-quarter surge; 6 Terps with multiple goals; Navy's Alyssa Chung 7 pts despite tight defense; Maryland returns to semis for 1st time since 2022
#2 North Carolina 14, Stanford 11 — UNC advances to 15th semifinal
Updated: May 18, 2026
Final Four set: #1 Princeton vs Duke, Syracuse vs Notre Dame at Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA (May 23). Sunday QF results: Princeton 14, Penn State 10 (McMeekin 19-of-27 FOs; 5-0 run to close); Duke 16, Georgetown 6 (Sloat 4G, most lopsided QF since '21). DIII Championship: Tufts vs RIT, May 24 at Scott Stadium. DII Championship: Adelphi vs Tampa, May 24 (rematch of '25 final). Women's Final Four May 22-24 at Northwestern.
RESULT: Notre Dame 15, Hopkins 9 — ✅ PREDICTION CORRECT (predicted ND 13-9). Josh Yago 7 pts (4G, 3A), Matt Jeffery 5 pts (2G, 3A). Irish broke open 6-6 halftime tie with dominant 2nd half. ND advances to 3rd Championship Weekend in 4 years.
RESULT: Syracuse 13, North Carolina 11 — ❌ PREDICTION WRONG (predicted UNC 14-11). Syracuse overcame 6-2 deficit with 6-0 run. Joey Spallina 6 pts (3G, 3A), Johnny Mullen won 14-of-27 vs Brady Wambach. Finn Thomson GWG. Orange return to Final Four.
RESULT: Princeton 14, Penn State 10 — ✅ PREDICTION CORRECT (predicted Princeton 12-8). Tigers outscored PSU 5-0 in final 14 minutes. Andrew McMeekin 19-of-27 FOs, 12 GBs; Tucker Wade 4G; Chad Palumbo 3G/2A (101st career goal).
RESULT: Duke 16, Georgetown 6 — ❌ PREDICTION WRONG (predicted Duke 11-10). Most lopsided QF since 2021. Max Sloat 4G/1A, Benn Johnston 3G. Georgetown went 32+ min without goal. Hoya's 12th straight QF loss. Duke first unseeded Final Four team since 2017.
PREDICTION: Princeton 12-9. #1 seed has been dominant all tournament; McMeekin's faceoff dominance (19-of-27) gives edge. Duke's QF blowout was impressive but against struggling Georgetown. Princeton's balanced attack too much.
PREDICTION: Notre Dame 13-11. ACC rematch — ND's balanced offense (Yago, Jeffery) vs Syracuse's Spallina show. Irish defense has been elite in tournament. Two ACC powers in a heavyweight semifinal.
PREDICTION: Northwestern 14-11. NU survived Colorado 13-12 2OT at home. JHU's buzzer-beater over Stony Brook shows clutch DNA. NU home field & draw dominance (20-8 vs Colorado) will be difference.
PREDICTION: North Carolina 13-10. UNC beat Stanford 14-11; Chloe Humphrey unstoppable. Maryland's depth & 4th-quarter surge vs Navy shows grit, but UNC's offense is on another level.
Tufts (22-2) vs Wesleyan (14-3) — defending champion Jumbos host sectional final; winner faces RIT in championship game
1 PM: #1 Adelphi vs #3 Molloy | 1 PM: #1 Tampa vs #7 Anderson (SC) — Championship at Gillette Stadium May 25
Updated: May 18, 2026
All four QFs complete. Sunday: Princeton 14, Penn State 10 (✅ prediction correct); Duke 16, Georgetown 6 (❌ prediction wrong — had Duke 11-10, actual was 16-6 blowout). Saturday: Notre Dame 15, Hopkins 9 (✅ correct); Syracuse 13, UNC 11 (❌ wrong — had UNC winning). Final Four set: #1 Princeton vs Duke, Syracuse vs Notre Dame (May 23, Charlottesville). Duke is first unseeded Final Four team since 2017. DIII Championship: Tufts 23, Wesleyan 7 — Jumbos face RIT May 24. DII Championship: Adelphi vs Tampa (rematch of '25 final, May 24). Women's Final Four May 22-24 at Northwestern. 2026 Tewaaraton finalists: Men — Owen Duffy (UNC), Willem Firth (Cornell), Nate Kabiri (Princeton), Shawn Lyght (Notre Dame), Joey Spallina (Syracuse). Women — Alyssa Chung (Navy), Brigid Duffy (Army), Chloe Humphrey (UNC), Reagan O'Brien (Johns Hopkins), Madison Taylor (Northwestern). Winner announced May 28. Updated projections:
Updated: May 18, 2026
The 2026 NCAA lacrosse tournaments: Men's Final Four set — #1 Princeton vs Duke, Syracuse vs Notre Dame at Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA (May 23). Sunday QFs: Princeton 14, Penn State 10 (McMeekin 19-of-27 FOs); Duke 16, Georgetown 6 (Sloat 4G, most lopsided QF since '21). DIII Championship: Tufts 23, Wesleyan 7 — Jumbos face RIT May 24. DII Championship: Adelphi vs Tampa (rematch of '25 final, May 24). Women's Final Four at Martin Stadium (Northwestern), May 22-24; Men's at Scott Stadium (Charlottesville, VA), May 23-25; DII/DIII championships at Scott Stadium, May 24-25.
Princeton 14, Penn State 10 — Tigers outscored PSU 5-0 in final 14 min; Andrew McMeekin 19-of-27 FOs, 12 GBs; Tucker Wade 4G; Chad Palumbo 3G/2A. Princeton advances to 12th Final Four.
Duke 16, Georgetown 6 — Most lopsided QF since 2021; Max Sloat 4G/1A, Benn Johnston 3G; Georgetown went 32+ min without a goal. Duke reaches 15th Championship Weekend; first unseeded team since 2017. Hoya's 12th consecutive QF loss.
#1 Princeton (15-2) vs Duke (11-5) — Princeton won QF 14-10; Duke won QF 16-6. First unseeded Final Four team since 2017.
Syracuse (12-3) vs Notre Dame (9-1) — Two ACC powers; Cuse upset #3 UNC 13-11; ND dominated Hopkins 15-9.
Tufts (23-2) vs RIT — Two-time defending champion Jumbos beat Wesleyan 23-7 in semifinal; RIT beat Bowdoin 16-12. Tufts won 2024 & 2025 titles.
Rematch of 2025 title game (Adelphi won 9-8). Adelphi (18-0) routed Molloy 19-4; Tampa beat Anderson 13-7. Panthers aim for 3rd straight DII crown.
#4 Johns Hopkins vs #1 Northwestern | #3 Maryland vs #2 North Carolina
National champion crowned on ESPN
National champion crowned on ESPN
Updated: May 2026
Understanding the recruiting timeline is critical for any player aiming to play college lacrosse. NCAA rules vary by division, but the process generally begins in sophomore year and intensifies through junior year.
| Team / Detail | Record / Info | Status / Seed |
|---|---|---|
| D1 Contact Starts | Sept 1 (junior year) | Calls, texts, emails permitted |
| D1 Official Visits | Sept 1 (junior year) | Campus visits allowed |
| D2 Contact Starts | Anytime | More flexible than D1 |
| D2 Official Visits | June 15 (after sophomore) | Earlier than D1 |
| D3 Contact | Anytime | No athletic scholarships |
| NLI Signing | November (senior year) | Class of 2027: Nov 11, 2026 |
When can college coaches contact me?
Division I coaches can contact you starting September 1 after your junior year. Before that, they can evaluate you at camps and showcases but cannot initiate contact. Division II and III coaches have more flexibility.
Do Division III schools offer athletic scholarships?
No. DIII schools do not offer athletic scholarships, but they often provide generous academic and need-based aid. Many DIII programs are highly competitive and produce pro players.
What is the transfer portal?
The NCAA transfer portal allows athletes to switch schools while maintaining eligibility. In lacrosse, the portal has become increasingly active, with top players moving to power programs. Players must sit out one year unless they receive a waiver.
Updated: May 18, 2026
While Division I gets the spotlight, DII and DIII lacrosse are thriving. Division II features competitive scholarship programs, while Division III emphasizes academics and has produced champions like Tufts and Salisbury. DIII semifinal Sunday: Tufts 23, Wesleyan (CT) 7 — Jumbos blow out Cardinals, advance to championship vs RIT May 24. DII semifinals Sunday: Adelphi 19, Molloy 4 (Donnellan 7 assists, Durning 5G); Tampa 13, Anderson (SC) 7 (Cho 4G/1A). DII Championship May 24: Adelphi vs Tampa — rematch of 2025 final (Adelphi won 9-8). DIII Championship May 24: Tufts vs RIT — Tufts seeks 3rd straight title; RIT won in 2021-22.
All data sourced from official NCAA publications, NCAA.com stats (through May 14, 2026), USILA polls, IWLCA coaches poll, and verified lacrosse media outlets.
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