In the latest move to increase the visibility of the NCAA women’s lacrosse championship and improve the experience for athletes, the Division I oversight committee announced Tuesday a revised schedule for preliminary rounds that will go into effect in 2027.
First- and second-round games will be played the Thursday and Saturday after Selection Sunday, rather than Friday and Sunday, respectively. All games will air on ESPN+.
Instead of all four quarterfinals going on the same day the ensuing Thursday, they’ll be split into primetime windows Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20.
Wednesday’s games will air on ESPNU at 6 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET, followed by Thursday’s games at 5 p.m. ET and 7:30 p.m. ET, also on ESPNU.
“This is a great opportunity to increase women’s lacrosse viewership,” said Lindsey Thomas, chair of the committee and senior associate athletics director of operations at Florida. “Increasing the fan base and viewership is a priority for the committee, and the new date formula will also provide additional rest for teams.”
All roads lead to championship weekend May 28-30, 2027 at Towson, where for the first time in NCAA history the Division I, Division II and Division III women’s lacrosse finals will be held together at a single site.
