NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee Reveals Top 10 Teams

With selections just weeks away, the committee ranks Notre Dame, Princeton, and North Carolina in the top 3 spots.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 4:39pm

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold, overlapping geometric shapes and planes of navy blue, forest green, and gold, conceptually representing the top-ranked college lacrosse teams competing for the championship.The NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee's top-ranked teams prepare to battle it out for the championship in a visually deconstructed, Cubist-inspired illustration.Charlottesville Today

The NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Committee has announced its top 10 rankings ahead of the upcoming championship tournament. Notre Dame, Princeton, and North Carolina lead the pack, with the ACC claiming three of the top four spots. Other notable teams in the top 10 include Richmond, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard.

Why it matters

These rankings provide an early look at the top contenders for the Division I men's lacrosse championship, giving fans and analysts a sense of which teams are positioned well for postseason play. The committee's decisions will heavily influence the at-large bids and seeding for the 18-team tournament field.

The details

Using results through games on April 17, the committee placed Notre Dame (8-1) at #1, followed by Princeton (9-2), North Carolina (10-2), and Syracuse (10-3). Richmond (10-1) rounds out the top 5. The next five spots go to Johns Hopkins (7-4), Cornell (8-3), Harvard (9-2), Maryland (6-4), and Virginia (7-5).

  • The rankings were revealed on April 18, 2026.
  • The championship field will be announced on May 3, 2026.
  • The tournament begins with opening round games on May 6, 2026.
  • The semifinals and championship game will take place on May 23 & 25, 2026 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The players

Notre Dame

The top-ranked team in the committee's rankings, with an 8-1 record and 5 wins over teams in the top 15 of the RPI, including a victory over North Carolina.

Princeton

The second-ranked team, with a 9-2 record and wins over the teams ranked 2nd and 3rd (North Carolina and Syracuse).

North Carolina

The third-ranked team, with a 10-2 record and a spot in the top 4 of the committee's rankings.

Syracuse

The fourth-ranked team, with a 10-3 record and a spot in the top 4 of the committee's rankings.

Richmond

The fifth-ranked team, with a 10-1 record and a 3-1 mark against teams in the top 10 of the RPI.

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What’s next

All 10 teams in the committee's rankings are in action on Saturday, April 18, including three contests that feature a matchup between two of the ranked teams. The 2026 championship field will be announced on Sunday, May 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

The takeaway

The top-ranked teams in the committee's reveal, led by Notre Dame, Princeton, and North Carolina, have established themselves as the early favorites to compete for the Division I men's lacrosse championship. However, with several key matchups on the schedule and the selection show still weeks away, the landscape could shift significantly before the tournament begins.