NCAA Unifies Women's Lacrosse Championships, Determines 2027 and 2028 Sites

For the first time, the finals of all three NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championships will be held at one site.

Towson, which is in the Baltimore metropolitan area, will host the 2027 championships at Johnny Unitas Stadium May 28-30.

Previously, Towson served as the host for the Division I women’s lacrosse semifinals and final in 2008-10, 2014 and 2021.

Subaru Park, the home of the Philadelphia Union MLS franchise, will host the 2028 championships. Subaru Park was originally set to host the 2027 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championships, but a scheduling conflict made the facility unavailable.

Members of the Division I Women’s Lacrosse Oversight Committee and the Division II and Division III Women’s Lacrosse Committees discussed the merits of holding all three NCAA tournament finals at one site and agreed it would benefit the sport.

In a joint statement, Division I committee chair Lindsey Thomas, senior associate athletics director at Florida, Division II committee chair Melissa Gyllenborg, women’s coach at Maryville (Missouri), and Division III committee chair Erica Adams, women’s lacrosse coach at Bridgewater State, said:

“We are thrilled that the NCAA will be hosting a joint Division I, II and III Women’s Lacrosse Championship in 2027 and 2028. All three committees have the utmost confidence in the Towson University staff and the city of Baltimore to successfully host the first-ever joint NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championships. As one of the most experienced hosts in women’s lacrosse championship history, Towson will provide an outstanding championship experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. We share the same excitement for Subaru Park and the Philadelphia region to showcase the joint championship in 2028. We look forward to two unforgettable weekends celebrating women’s lacrosse at every level.”

Liz Robertshaw, executive director of the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association, shared in the enthusiasm of this announcement:

“This announcement of a joint women’s lacrosse championship to life in 2027 at Towson and again in 2028 at Subaru Park has been years in the making and is a testament to the hard work and the collaborative efforts of all involved. The chance to showcase the best of the college game across divisions in one weekend is amazing, but getting to do it in Baltimore and Philadelphia, I feel, has the opportunity to be massive with regards to attendance all three days. This is great for the sport and great for the continued growth of college women’s lacrosse.”

The format for next year will be the Division I semifinals being played Friday, May 28, followed by the Division II and Division III national title games Saturday, May 29. The Division I championship game will be Sunday, May 30.

Towson’s Johnny Unitas Stadium seats more than 11,000 fans. In 2014, the attendance for the championship game was a then-record 10,311 fans, with a then-record 18,567 fans for the championship weekend.

“Hosting the 2027 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championships is an incredible opportunity for Towson University and greater Baltimore,” said Steve Eigenbrot, Towson’s vice president of athletics. “We are honored to welcome the nation’s top teams and fans back to our beautiful campus and look forward to delivering a first-class championship experience while showcasing the pride, passion and rich lacrosse tradition that define both Towson University and the Baltimore region.”

Members of the three NCAA women’s lacrosse committees want to keep the momentum on the joint championships going when it is played in Subaru Park with Temple as the host school in 2028. Subaru Park hosted the Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship in 2015 and 2016. The 2015 championship game drew 8,143 fans, and the 2016 title game drew 7,636 fans.

The Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship has been held since the 1981-82 academic year, which is the first year the NCAA began sponsoring women’s championships.

Division III has held an NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship since 1985, and the first Division II Women’s Lacrosse Championship was held in 2001.