The 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse National Championship schedule & bracket is officially underway. The field for the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship has narrowed to the final eight teams. Following a high-scoring opening weekend, the tournament moves to the Quarterfinals on Thursday, May 14. Below are the updated scores and the upcoming broadcast schedule for the road to Evanston.
2026 DI Women’s Lacrosse Championship Schedule
The 2026 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse bracket & tournament begins with a massive 13-game slate on Friday, May 8. Unlike the men’s tournament, the women’s bracket features 29 teams, with the top three seeds receiving opening-round byes.
2026 DI Women’s Lacrosse Quarterfinals Schedule
All four quarterfinal matchups will air live on ESPNU on Thursday, May 14. Winners will advance to the national semifinals at Northwestern University’s Martin Stadium.
| Matchup | Time (ET) | TV Network |
| No. 5 Stony Brook vs. No. 4 Johns Hopkins | 12:00 p.m. | ESPNU |
| No. 1 Northwestern vs. No. 8 Colorado | 2:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
| No. 6 Navy vs. No. 3 Maryland | 5:00 p.m. | ESPNU |
| No. 2 North Carolina vs. Stanford | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU |
Recent 2026 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament Results
Second Round Scores (Sunday, May 10)
- No. 1 Northwestern 17, James Madison 5
- No. 2 North Carolina 17, Clemson 6
- No. 3 Maryland 11, Rutgers 8
- No. 4 Johns Hopkins 21, Army 13
- No. 5 Stony Brook 10, Boston College 9
- No. 6 Navy 11, Syracuse 10 (OT)
- Stanford 13, No. 7 Michigan 12
- No. 8 Colorado 11, Denver 9
First Round Scores (Friday, May 8)
- No. 5 Stony Brook 19, Stonehill 5
- Rutgers 12, Princeton 11
- No. 4 Johns Hopkins 21, UAlbany 7
- No. 6 Navy 17, UMass 16
- No. 7 Michigan 18, Mercer 8
- Boston College 10, Yale 4
- James Madison 13, Notre Dame 12
- Clemson 19, Davidson 6
- Army 20, Fairfield 8
- No. 8 Colorado 10, Jacksonville 9
- Stanford 7, Penn State 5
- Syracuse 8, Loyola Maryland 6
- Denver 18, Florida 8
2026 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament Schedule
- Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 14 (ESPNU)
- National Semifinals: Friday, May 22 | Martin Stadium (Evanston, IL)
- National Championship: Sunday, May 24 | Martin Stadium (Evanston, IL)
Championship Weekend: Evanston, IL
For the first time ever, the NCAA DI Women’s Lacrosse Championship will be hosted at Northwestern University’s Martin Stadium. This provides a massive potential advantage for the Northwestern Wildcats, who have been a perennial force in the tournament.
- Defending Champion: North Carolina Tar Heels (4th title won in 2025)
- TV Coverage: The Semifinals and National Championship will be broadcast across the ESPN family of networks.
Women’s Lacrosse Tournament FAQ
How many teams are in the 2026 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse tournament? The field features 29 teams. This includes 15 automatic qualifiers from conference championships and 14 at-large selections.
Where is the 2026 Women’s Lacrosse National Championship? The 2026 semifinals and final will be played at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois, hosted by Northwestern University.
Who won the 2025 Women’s Lacrosse Championship? The North Carolina Tar Heels are the defending champions after defeating Northwestern 12-8 in the 2025 final.
Where can I watch the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse tournament? Early rounds are primarily streamed on ESPN+, with the Quarterfinals moving to ESPNU. Championship Weekend will be featured on ESPN’s linear networks.
Sports Resources & Tournament Guides
Stay connected with all of the May championship action:
- 2026 NCAA DI Men’s Lacrosse Bracket: Get the printable PDF and TV schedule for the men’s road to Charlottesville.
- 2026 NCAA DI Baseball Tournament Hub: Stay updated on the road to Omaha with our printable Regional and Super Regional brackets.
- 2026 NCAA DI Softball Championship Central: Complete coverage of the Women’s College World Series, including TV schedules and printable PDFs.
- 2026 Preakness Stakes Betting Guide: Everything you need to know about the second leg of the Triple Crown, including post positions and race times.
