2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Six Atlantic Coast Conference teams were selected to the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship, as the 29-team field was announced Sunday evening by the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Committee.
The conference’s six NCAA selections are tied for the most of any league.
ACC champion North Carolina (16-1) earned the tournament’s No. 2 seed, while Boston College (9-7), Clemson (14-5), Notre Dame (12-5), Stanford (15-4) and Syracuse (13-5) also notched berths into the tournament.
North Carolina begins tournament action at noon ET on Sunday, May 10, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, against the winner of the first-round contest between Clemson and Davidson. The reigning national champion, UNC, has won four total national championships and earned an NCAA bid for the 21st consecutive tournament and 27th time overall. Clemson plays Davidson on Friday, May 8, at 5 p.m. ET and will make its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Boston College takes on Yale on Friday at 4 p.m. ET in Stony Brook, New York. Two-time national champions, the Eagles earned their 13th straight NCAA appearance and 14th in program history.
Notre Dame takes on James Madison on Friday at 4 p.m. ET in Evanston, Illinois. The Fighting Irish are making their 18th overall NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament appearance and their 10th as an ACC member.
Stanford faces Penn State at 6 p.m. ET on Friday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is the Cardinal's 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, including their third straight and fifth in the last six years.
Syracuse plays Loyola Maryland at 7 p.m. ET on Friday in Annapolis, Maryland. The Orange are making their 14th straight NCAA tournament appearance and 23rd overall, including their first under head coach Regy Thorpe, who is in his debut season.
Eight sites will host first- and second-round competition on Friday, May 8, and Sunday, May 10; four quarterfinal games will be played Thursday, May 14. First- and second-round games will air on ESPN+. The quarterfinals will be shown on ESPNU.
The winner of the four quarterfinal games will advance to the national semifinals at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. The semifinal games will be shown on ESPNU at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 22. The championship game will air on ESPN on Sunday, May 24, at noon ET.
ACC teams have won 15 national titles, and at least one ACC team has played in the national title game in 15 of the last 16 seasons. The ACC has had at least one team in the national semifinals in 35 straight tournaments and 40 times overall. ACC teams have made 32 championship game appearances and 59 national semifinal appearances.
2026 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship – Opening Weekend Games
Friday, May 8
Notre Dame vs. James Madison (in Evanston, Ill.) – 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Boston College vs. Yale (in Stony Brook, N.Y.) – 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Clemson vs. Davidson (in Chapel Hill, N.C.) – 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Stanford vs. Penn State (in Ann Arbor, Mich.) – 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Syracuse vs. Loyola Maryland (in Annapolis, Md.) – 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Sunday, May 10
Clemson/Davidson at No. 2 North Carolina – Noon | ESPN+
Boston College/Yale vs. Stonehill/No. 5 Stony Brook – Noon | ESPN+
Syracuse/Loyola Maryland vs. No. 6 Navy/UMass – 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Stanford/Penn State vs. No. 7 Michigan/Mercer – 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Notre Dame/James Madison at No. 1 Northwestern – 2 p.m. | ESPN+
All times Eastern