NCAA 2026 Preview: Your Guide to the College Lacrosse Season

Much of the country is still frozen, but believe it or not, it’s time for the earliest start to the college lacrosse season the sport has ever seen.

There are more than 20 NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse games set for this weekend, including ESPN networks kicking off its 2026 coverage with Robert Morris at Johns Hopkins on Saturday at noon on ESPNU.

Following heavy graduation losses from Cornell’s magical 2025 NCAA men’s championship run, the field seems wide open. Will Maryland “Be the Best” once again? Can Syracuse recapture its glory under the legendary Gary Gait? Is Princeton’s talented lineup ready to climb the mountain again?

North Carolina’s women captured perfection in 2025 with a 22-0 season and return all-everything Chloe Humphrey. Can a reloaded Northwestern squad get past the Tar Heels? Is generational goalie Shea Dolce ready to put Boston College back on top?

These are some of the questions USA Lacrosse Magazine will be following all season long. Here’s everything to get you ready for the 2026 college lacrosse season.

Bring it on!

PRESEASON Rankings

Presented by CWENCH Hydration, college and high school rankings are compiled by USA Lacrosse writers with input from coaches. Stay up to date with the latest rankings here.

Five of six defending NCAA champions took the No. 1 spot in our first set rankings. The one outlier? Cornell. With the Big Red moving on from Kirst and company, runner-up Maryland is ranked No. 1 in the USA Lacrosse Division I Men's Preseason Top 20.

Men's Preseason Rankings

Division I: Maryland gets the nod as preseason No. 1

Division II: Can Adelphi make it three in a row?

Division III: Reigning champion Tufts is back at No. 1

Women's Preseason Rankings

Division I: North Carolina heads the field as 2026 starts

Division II Women: Tampa aiming for third straight title

Division III Women: Middlebury seeks to maintain dominance

THE STARS

It's Joey and Chloe season.

Syracuse star Joey Spallina and North Carolina phenom Chloe Humphrey were named USA Lacrosse Preseason Players of the Year for NCAA Division I men's and women's lacrosse, respectively.

Both were also named first-team USA Lacrosse Preseason All-Americans, as we identified 158 Division I athletes primed for big years on our men's and women's lists.

The Contenders

Get ready for the season as we position three burning questions for each team ranked in the USA Lacrosse Division I Preseason Top 20.