NCAA Lacrosse Tournament 2025 preview as brackets are announced
The road to lacrosse glory is set. The 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship bracket has been unveiled, with 18 teams ready to battle for the national title.
Ten teams enter via automatic bids from conference wins, while eight secured at-large spots selected by the DI Men’s Lacrosse Committee. The single-elimination tournament culminates in final rounds at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, from May 24–26.
Reigning champions Notre Dame headline this year’s bracket as they chase a rare three-peat under head coach Kevin Corrigan. After dominant wins in 2023 and 2024, they enter as one of the top seeds and face a tough draw, opening against No. 4 Ohio State on May 11.
Top-seeded Cornell, hungry for its first title since 1977, and No. 2 Maryland, who last won in 2022, round out the top three seeds. Other contenders include Duke, Princeton, and Syracuse, all with rich championship histories and strong 2025 campaigns.
North Carolina vs. Richmond, noon
Princeton vs. Towson, 2:30 p.m.
Duke vs. Georgetown, 7:30 p.m.
Syracuse vs. Harvard, May 11, 5 p.m.
Cornell and Maryland await results from the May 7 opening round (Robert Morris vs. Air Force, UAlbany vs. Siena).
Quarterfinals follow on May 17–18, with semifinals set for May 24 and the final on Monday, May 26 at noon ET, airing live on ESPN.
Notre Dame’s back-to-back titles place them among recent greats, with only Virginia (2019 & 2021) and Duke (2013 & 2014) achieving similar consistency. The Irish crushed Maryland 15-5 last year, signaling their title defense will be no fluke.
As the stage sets for Memorial Day weekend in Foxborough, all eyes are on whether Notre Dame can make history—or if a new champion will emerge.