A History of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship

The NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship is an annual tournament organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to determine the national champion of men's collegiate field lacrosse among its Division I members in the United States. The tournament showcases the athletic prowess and strategic gameplay of the nation's top college lacrosse teams.

The Genesis of the NCAA Tournament

The first Division I Championship tournament, held in 1971, replaced the USILA and Wingate Memorial Trophy national title awards. This marked a significant shift in how collegiate lacrosse champions were crowned, consolidating the process under the NCAA's umbrella. The Wingate Memorial Trophy was presented to the first two NCAA champions and was then retired. The NCAA has since been holding the annual Men's Lacrosse Championships.

Evolution of the Tournament

Since its inception, the NCAA tournament has undergone several changes in format and participating teams. Originally consisting of eight teams, the size of the tournament field has changed over the years, increasing to 10 in 1986, 12 in 1987, 16 in 2003, 18 in 2014, and down to 17 in 2017. Since 2021, the size has varied almost annually: 16 in 2021, 17 in 2023 and 2024, and 18 in 2022 and 2025.

The two semifinal games and the final have been played on the same weekend at the same stadium since 1986, creating a thrilling culmination to the college lacrosse season.

Dominant Teams and Unseeded Surprises

Throughout the tournament's history, certain teams have consistently demonstrated their dominance. As of 2023, 52 NCAA tournaments have been played (not held in 2020). In that span, 12 teams - Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Princeton, North Carolina, Virginia, Cornell, Duke, Maryland, Loyola University (Maryland), Denver, Yale and Notre Dame - have won the national title with Syracuse leading with ten titles (plus one vacated by the NCAA[a]). In all, 41 teams have participated in the NCAA tournament since its inception.

While the top seeds often prevail, there have been instances of unseeded teams making remarkable runs. Only seven unseeded teams - the 1988 Cornell Big Red, the 1991 Towson Tigers, the 2006 Massachusetts Minutemen, the 2010 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the 2011 and 2012 Maryland Terrapins and the 2016 North Carolina Tar Heels - have made it to the championship game, and only ten unseeded teams have made it to the tournament semi-finals, the most recent being North Carolina in 2016.

Johns Hopkins has appeared in every tournament but three (1971, 2013, 2021), showcasing their sustained excellence in collegiate lacrosse. The Number One seed in the tournament has won the title 22 times and there have been 13 undefeated National Champions. Each tournament has seeded the top 8 seeds. The top seed is shown with double underline, the teams seeded between No. 2 and No. 4 are shown with single underline, and the teams seeded between No. 5 and No.

Geographic Distribution

The heartland of college lacrosse extends from New England to North Carolina. However, the sport's reach is expanding, with teams from outside this traditional region making their mark. Only eight schools from outside the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic have played in the NCAA tournament-Air Force, Butler, Denver, Marquette, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Utah.

Coaching Legends

Behind every successful lacrosse program is a dedicated and skilled coach. 21 coaches have won Division I titles: Richie Moran, Glenn Thiel, Bud Beardmore, Bob Scott, Henry Ciccarone, Willie Scroggs, Jr., Roy Simmons, Jr., Dave Klarmann, Don Zimmerman, Bill Tierney, Dom Starsia, John Desko, Dave Pietramala, John Danowski, Charley Toomey, John Tillman, Joe Breschi, Andy Shay, Lars Tiffany, Kevin Corrigan and Connor Buczek. These coaches have not only guided their teams to victory but have also shaped the lives of countless student-athletes.

Historical Context: Before the NCAA

Before the NCAA took over the tournament, collegiate lacrosse associations chose an annual champion based on regular season records. The first intercollegiate lacrosse tournament, however, was held in 1881 with Harvard beating Princeton, 3-0 in the championship game. From this point through 1934, collegiate lacrosse associations chose an annual champion based on regular season records. The USILL acted as the governing body for lacrosse in the United States until it was replaced by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) in 1929, and from 1934 through 1970 the USILA chose the Wingate Memorial Trophy champion.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

Below is a list of championships awarded by the NCAA while vacated titles are not included in a schools championship total. Below is a list of team championship titles, inclusive of those awarded prior to the formation of the NCAA Division I Championship. These include the ILA champions (1881-1898), the USIULL and ILA champions (1899-1905), the USILL champions (1906-1925), the USILA champions (1926-1935), and the Wingate Memorial Trophy (1936-1972) recipients. Of note several schools have claimed their Northern and Southern Division titles won during the USILL years as national championships (based on the results of 3 or 4 intra-division games), while others have not. Still others were acclaimed in their time as unofficial title winners based on being leading teams in the collegiate ranks in particular years. Furthermore, the USILL (1906-1925) was a closed membership organization. §The USILA did not name champions for the 1932-1935 seasons. Johns Hopkins (44), Navy (17), Maryland (13), St.

Syracuse's Dominance and the Gait Brothers

Syracuse has been a commanding force in men's college lacrosse for many years. The program took home its first title in 1983, and then dominated for three straight years from 1988-1990. Twin brothers Paul and Gary Gait played for the Orange and set numerous records and popularized behind-the-back passing and scoring. Syracuse won the 1990 championship that was later vacated because of NCAA violations.

*After the 1990 championship, the NCAA Committee on Infractions determined that Paul Gait had played in the 1990 championship while ineligible. Under NCAA rules, Syracuse and Paul Gait's records for that championship were vacated. ^ a b c d e Syracuse's championship in the 1990 tournament was vacated by the NCAA. The NCAA Committee on Infractions determined that Paul Gait had played in the 1990 championship while ineligible. Under NCAA rules, Syracuse and Paul Gait's records for that championship were vacated.

Johns Hopkins' Legacy

While Johns Hopkins is a decorated program with nine national championships, it hasn't taken home the title in the past decade. Johns Hopkins defenseman Ben O'Neill (with trophy) celebrates with his teammates after defeating Duke 12-11in the 2007 championship at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD.

Recent Champions

The most recent national champions are tied for third with six total national titles. In the 2019 NCAA tournament, it took the Cavaliers two overtimes in the national semifinal game to advance to the championship, but just 60 minutes to capture the title.

Cornell added a title in 2025 to its three championships from the 1970s. Even during the title drought, Cornell continued to be a strong college lacrosse program. Cornell won the 2025 NCAA men's lacrosse championship. Mark Smith-USA TODAY SportsKeith JenkinsMay 26, 2025, 03:29 PM ET

The Blue Devils have been a college lacrosse power in this last decade, with their three championships all coming since 2010. Myles Jones of Duke University celebrates their 11-9 victory over Notre Dame for the national championship at M&T Bank Stadium. Their last championship came against Notre Dame where they won a second consecutive lacrosse title and third in five seasons.

The Terrapins took home the title in 2017 after 42 years and nine championship game losses. They defeated Ohio State 9-6, and Tim Rotanz led with a hat trick. Matt Rambo and Connor Kelly led the Terrapins in that year that brought the title back home to Maryland after a long, long drought.

UNC players celebrate their 15-14 overtime win over Maryland during the national championship held at Lincoln Financial Field. The Tar Heels' last championship came in a memorable way. Not only did they beat Maryland in overtime, but they were unseeded that year. Only seven unseeded teams have made it to the championship game, and UNC was the last to do it.

Programs Not in the Championship Mix

Princeton is another program that has not been in the championship mix in recent years, and its last NCAA tournament appearance was in 2012.

Women's Lacrosse

The NCAA holds annual single-elimination tournaments to decide the national champion in both Division I men's and women's lacrosse. On the women's side, Maryland has been the most dominant program, winning a record 14 national championships. Six of those titles have come since 2001, when women's lacrosse became a Division I sport. C.W. C.W.

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