UNC Holds No. 1 as NCAA Tournament Field is Set
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass.— North Carolina remains at No. 1 in the latest IWLCA Division I Coaches Poll and has earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament, which begins May 8. The Tar Heels will face either No. 12 Clemson or Davidson in the second round.
Northwestern stays at No. 2 and enters the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, also earning a first-round bye. The Wildcats will await the winner of No. 22 James Madison and No. 16 Notre Dame.
Maryland checks in at No. 3 after earning its 36th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The Terps secured the No. 3 seed and will host first- and second-round games at SECU Stadium in College Park. Maryland will face the winner of Princeton and Rutgers, who meet on Friday.
Johns Hopkins moves up to No. 4 and earns the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Blue Jays will host UAlbany in first-round action.
Rounding out the Top 5 is Navy, the 2026 Patriot League champion. The Midshipmen secured the conference’s automatic bid with a 17–11 win over Army and enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed. Navy will host Massachusetts in the opening round.
Additionally, Stony Brook, Michigan, and Colorado earned automatic bids and complete the group of top-eight seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament.
In total, 25 teams are represented in the poll, with voters—college coaches from across the nation—reflecting the latest results across women’s lacrosse. The rankings are based on weekly performances, with the final poll of the regular season serving as the poll.
The final poll of the 2026 season will be released upon the conclusion of all NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championships.