Northwestern wins 2026 DI women's lacrosse championship

Northwestern won the 2026 DI women’s lacrosse championship, beating North Carolina 14-11, in front of its home crowd on Sunday, May 24. 

The win marks the Wildcats first title since 2023 and avenged its championship loss to UNC last season. 

Here is everything to know about the 29-team, single-elimination tournament — 15 automatic bids and 14 at-large selections. The higher seed hosted quarterfinal matchups before the semifinals and championship final were played at Northwestern's Martin Stadium in Evanston, IL. 

2026 DI women’s lacrosse championship bracket

Click or tap here for the interactive bracket

2026 DI women’s lacrosse championship schedule

• Selection show: Sunday, May 3 on ESPNU | Rewatch here
• First round: Friday, May 8 on ESPN+
  • 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 
• Second round: Sunday, May 10 on ESPN+
  • No. 4 Johns Hopkins 21, Army 13 
  • No. 3 Maryland 11, Rutgers 8
  • No. 2 North Carolina 17, Clemson 6
  • No. 5 Stony Brook 10, Boston College 9
  • Stanford 13, No. 7 Michigan 12
  • No. 6 Navy 11, Syracuse 10 (OT)
  • No. 1 Northwestern 17, James Madison 5
  • No. 8 Colorado 11, Denver 9
• Quarterfinals: Thursday, May 14 on ESPNU
  • No. 2 North Carolina 14, Stanford 11
  • No. 3 Maryland 14, No. 6 Navy 10
  • No. 1 Northwestern 13, No. 8 Colorado 12
  • No. 4 Johns Hopkins 13, No. 5 Stony Brook 12
• Semifinals: Friday, May 22 | Martin Stadium at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL
  • No. 2 North Carolina 16, No. 3 Maryland 6
  • No. 1 Northwestern 16, No. 4 Johns Hopkins 14
• Championship: Sunday, May 24 | Martin Stadium at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL
  • No. 1 Northwestern 14, No 2. North Carolina 11

Championship history

The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Northwestern Wildcats, 12-8, to take home the 2025 national championship. It was the program’s first since 2022 and fourth all-time. 

🏆 TAR HEELS ON TOP: See how UNC won its fourth-ever national title, from the bleachers

Below is a full list of every DI women’s lacrosse national champion since 1982.

Note: Before 2001, this championship was a national collegiate championship.