CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse will represent the Atlantic Coast Conference in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Field Hockey Championship on Friday, November 13, at campus sites across the country.
Syracuse, which won the 2026 ACC Field Hockey Championship as the No. 4 seed, travels to Storrs, Connecticut, to face No. 5 national seed Princeton. The Orange and Tigers will meet at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Syracuse will make its ninth NCAA Tournament appearance as a member of the ACC and its fifth in the past six seasons. The Orange are 9-7 in NCAA Tournament play since joining the ACC, highlighted by their 2015 national championship.
Duke continues its pursuit of the first national championship in program history when it travels to College Park, Maryland, to face No. 7 national seed Iowa. The Blue Devils and Hawkeyes will get underway Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+. Led by ACC Coach of the Year Pam Bustin, the Blue Devils enter the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season after earning a share of the ACC regular-season championship.
North Carolina, the No. 8 national seed, makes its 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and travels to Evanston, Illinois. The Tar Heels will face Miami (Ohio) on Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the tournament opener for both teams. North Carolina is making its NCAA-record 43rd postseason appearance and pursuing a record 10th national championship.
The ACC earned multiple bids to the NCAA field for the 32nd consecutive year. The conference’s three selections are tied for the most of any league this season.
Opening round matches were played Wednesday, November 11, at two of the first- and second-round sites. First-round matches will be played Friday, November 13, followed by the quarterfinals Sunday, November 15, at four campus sites. Louisville will host the national semifinals Friday, November 20, and the championship game Sunday, November 22, at Trager Stadium. All first-round, second-round and quarterfinal matches will be available on ESPN+, while the semifinals and championship game will be broadcast on ESPNU. For ticket information, visit NCAA.com/tickets.