For one weekend each year, the seaside community of Santa Barbara, located on the central California coast, becomes the epicenter of lacrosse as women’s collegiate club teams from around the country arrive for three days of sun, fun and intense competition.
An annual event since 1989, this year’s Santa Barbara Shootout will have 33 WCLA (Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association) teams gathered at the Happy Canyon Piocho Polo complex, with games beginning this Friday at noon and continuing through Sunday afternoon.
• Santa Barbara Shootout Schedule
This year’s field features nine Division I teams ranked in the WCLA’s preseason Top 20 or among the teams that received consideration, and six Division II teams in the preseason ranking.
BYU, a perennial Top 20 program, is one of the teams that never misses a chance to play in the Shootout.
“It’s a tradition for our program,” said first year coach Melissa Nash, a former BYU player who has returned to the Cougar program. “We have always looked forward to the California sunshine and the chance to get out of the snow in Utah. This is a great way to kick off our season.”
For programs like BYU that have lofty goals each year, facing strong competition right off the bat is helpful.
“Our goal is to get to the Nationals every year, so coming home from Santa Barbara with a 3-0 record is the goal,” Nash said. “But playing against strong teams also shows us what our weaknesses may be and what areas we need to improve before starting league play.”
For many teams, this early-season event is the first chance to hit reset for the new season and get an early glimpse into how the newcomers will jell with returning players.
“We graduated several seniors, so we are excited for the challenges ahead and looking forward to what this new season has in store,” said Arizona State club president Claire Mertzlufft. With scheduled games this weekend against Utah Valley, Cal Poly, and UC Berkeley, the Sun Devils hope to jump start their chase for a fifth straight national tournament berth in 2026.
For CSU San Marcos, a regular attendee in Santa Barbara, the 2026 season begins a new chapter in the program’s history. San Marcos concluded the 2025 campaign by winning its first WCLA Division II championship and now begins this new season having reclassified into the Division I ranks.
Ranked No. 15 in the preseason, San Marcos played its first Division I game last week, falling to UC Santa Barbara in the opener. The Cougars return to Santa Barbara this weekend hoping to secure their initial victories as a Division I program.
With San Marcos’ reclassification, the Division II ranks have a decidedly different look as the new season launches. For the first time ever, Montana State has been tabbed as No. 1 in the rankings, while UC San Diego, coming off its first national tournament appearance last year, is ranked second. The Tritons are the highest-ranked D-II team in Santa Barbara and play four games in 48 hours.
“The Santa Barbara Shootout is one of the premier tournaments every year, combining an incredible location with elite competition,” said ASU’s Mertzlufft. “It all starts this weekend and we’re so ready to get after it.”
Nearly 150 non-varsity collegiate teams comprise the WCLA and compete under the USA Lacrosse umbrella. The season ends every year with the annual Division I and Division II National Championships, which showcase the WCLA’s premier teams.
The 2026 championship is scheduled for May 11-16 at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Fla. and will feature 16 Division I clubs and 12 Division II teams vying for titles. For many of those teams and players, the first step on the Road to Naples begins this weekend in Santa Barbara.
WCLA Bylaw Changes for 2026
The WCLA leadership committee approved two by-law changes that have been implemented with the start of the 2026 season. Both changes are intended to provide greater participation opportunities for players.
Removal of the 4-Year Cap on Eligibility
Any WCLA athlete who is a full-time student, meets their university's requirements to participate in club sports, and meets all WCLA requirements, is eligible to participate regardless of how many years they have previously played.
Expansion of Eligibility for Sister Programs
Students participating in an officially recognized sister program to a WCLA recognized team are eligible to participate on the WCLA recognized team as long as they meet all academic & WCLA requirements and:
a. Submit official documentation of the relationship between the schools
b. Submit confirmation of no existing team at the sister school
Questions about eligibility may be submitted here.
