Tufts Still Top Team in USA Lacrosse Division III Men's Preseason Top 20

One year after a torrid run to an NCAA championship, Tufts is still firmly entrenched atop the USA Lacrosse Division III Men's Preseason Top 20.

The Jumbos finished 23-0 in 2025 and throttled Dickinson, the Cinderella story of the spring, in the final 25-8.

For its at times unbelievable end to last season, Dickinson earned its place at No. 4 in the preseason ranking, just behind Christopher Newport and Salisbury at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. Bowdoin rounds out the top five.

Continue below to see the full ranking.

USA LACROSSE DIVISION III MEN'S
PRESEASON TOP 20

1. Tufts
2. Christopher Newport
3. Salisbury
4. Dickinson
5. Bowdoin
6. Washington and Lee
7. RIT
8. RPI
9. Gettysburg
10. Wesleyan
11. York
12. Lynchburg
13. St. Lawrence
14. Amherst
15. Stevenson
16. Swarthmore
17. Stevens
18. Cortland
19. Middlebury
20. Roanoke

Also considered (alphabetical order): Babson, Denison, Grove City, Ohio Wesleyan, St. John Fisher

MORE ON THE TOP 20

1. Tufts

No, Tufts isn’t an underdog. Not this year, not last year, or even the year before that. No, the Jumbos are the definition of a wagon; get on or get out of the way. They may have lost a few pieces, but thanks to some very successful recruiting windows and a system that has rarely failed, the NESCAC giants are back.  

2. Christopher Newport

The Captains have consistently knocked on the door of excellence, even getting their foot in the door multiple times, but they have yet to cross the threshold into a true title contender. We think that ends now. CNU has the best special teams unit in lacrosse, multiple scorers capable of hitting 80 or more points and a defense that will improve from last year.

3. Salisbury

Maybe Salisbury should be higher, but any ranking below No. 1 will feel like an insult, and thus motivate the besweatered Gulls for an entire season. What can we say except, “You’re welcome?” Well, we could say that any time you underestimate Salisbury, you’re inviting hindsight into the room.

4. Dickinson

The run that the Red Devils had leading up to their appearance in Foxborough was the thing that sportswriters fill books with. It will be studied and celebrated for years to come among casual and hardcore lacrosse fans. But this rank is not just based on that performance; it’s an indication of where expectations line up for Dickinson in the aftermath.

5. Bowdoin

Never satisfied with being the next-best team in the NESCAC, Bowdoin will enter 2026 with loftier goals on its dry erase board — like being the team to end the never-ending run of Tufts.

6. Washington and Lee

Returners abound for the Generals, who bring back James Haley at attack and a stacked back end. Faceoffs will be a question with Tyler Spano headed to South Bend, but W&L has the tools to hang with anyone.

7. RIT

It’s a massive graduating class for RIT, hitting several key positions that see over 340 points from last year depart. The Tigers are more likely to finish the year above this ranking than below; it’ll just be a lot of fresh faces that get them there.

8. RPI

For a time, it was looking like it was going to be the Engineers’ year last spring. Things didn’t end up that way, but the thing that stands out when looking back was RPI’s depth. If it can keep developing that next-man-up mentality, RPI will finish much higher than this initial ranking.

9. Gettysburg

Like many people, we underestimated Gettysburg at times last season. Going into 2026, the Bullets are just inside the top 10, but they do start their schedule with a five-game gauntlet of Salisbury, Stevenson, Washington and Lee, RIT, and Lynchburg.

10. Wesleyan

The Cards suffered a shock end to their season when they lost to RPI in the third round of the NCAA tournament. It was not a performance indicative of that team’s ability in a season in which they went 13-6 with wins over Bowdoin and Amherst (not to mention a controversial overtime loss to Tufts). Will offseason losses to graduation be outweighed by a stellar incoming class?

11. York

Holy goals, Spartans. Davis Fisher, Gavin Gismondi, Nate Schilling, and their combined 140 goals and 108 assists are all back. York starts the year outside of the top 10, but that could change in a hurry. They open at home against W&L on Valentine’s Day.

12. Lynchburg

We took a lot of heat for our placement of the Hornets early on last season, and to be fair, they went on to prove us wrong with five- and six-game win streaks in the heart of the schedule. This season will see them square off against four Top 20 teams in their first six games.

13. St. Lawrence

The Saints’ specialists were their strength a year ago, but unfortunately, all have graduated. Paddy Condon is still at St. Lawrence but now on the sidelines as a coach, while goalie Michael Marinello and All-American SSDM Caleb Torres graduated. Efficient play will take the Saints up the ranks.

14. Amherst

Going 7-3 in the NESCAC is never bad, but Amherst will regret some of the games it dropped last spring. Luckily, Amherst has chances to prove itself early, as it faces Tufts, Babson, Swarthmore, CNU, and Bowdoin before April.

15. Stevenson

The Mustangs had an incredible season in the MAC, going 6-1 in the regular season, but dropped both of their games to York. This season, the entire starting attack returns, led by 88-point junior ace Gavin Gossen.

16. Swarthmore

A combination of solid young players and one of the best goaltenders in the country in Drew Tyson has Swarthmore well entrenched in the Top 20. The question is, how far can it climb the ladder in 2026?

17. Stevens

A dominant run in the MAC Freedom conference ended with a league championship and a first-round loss to Gettysburg in the NCAA tournament for the Ducks. This season, Stevens will try to run it back with a different ending, led by senior attackman Matthew Pergola, who looks to top last spring’s 80-point total.

18. Cortland

Last season, everyone wanted to know just how good Cortland was, and 19 teams figured it out the hard way. The Dragons enter 2026 as less of a scrappy hatchling and more of a Smaug, but they will still have to replace several key starters if they want to maintain their ascendance.

19. Middlebury

No rest for the weary in the NESCAC. The Panthers’ senior class last year was tremendous, and it leaves many pairs of extended size shoes to fill. Cooper DeMallie is a star in the midfield, and Logan White is a key at attack.

20. Roanoke

A strangely uneven season ended for the Maroons when Lynchburg downed them in the ODAC tournament. Still, this team went 13-6 with a pair of one-goal losses against Lynchburg and W&L in the regular season that could have significantly changed its destiny.