UNC Stays Locked at No. 1 with ACC Title Win, Division I Awaits NCAA Tourney Seeding
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass.— The top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels remain No. 1 after capturing their second consecutive ACC Tournament championship with a 12–8 win over No. 11 Stanford on Sunday. UNC has now claimed nine ACC titles in program history. Before the finals, the Tar Heels advanced with wins over No. 19 Duke and No. 6 Syracuse.
UNC now turns its attention to defending its national title as they await the NCAA Tournament bracket release on Sunday, May 3.
Stanford’s strong showing in the ACC Tournament fuels a five-spot jump to No. 6 in this week’s rankings.
Northwestern holds firm at No. 2 after edging No. 4 Maryland in an overtime thriller to secure its fourth consecutive Big Ten Tournament championship. The Wildcats (15–3, 7–1 Big Ten) become the first program in conference history to win four straight tournament titles and have earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Northwestern also defeated No. 8 Michigan, 10–7, in the semifinals.
Despite the loss in the Big Ten final, Maryland remains at No. 3 after advancing with wins over Ohio State and Johns Hopkins.
Florida moves up to No. 4 following a dominant 19–6 victory over UC Davis to claim the Big 12 regular-season title. The Gators will enter the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed and face UC Davis again in the semifinals.
Rounding out the Top 5 is Johns Hopkins (14–4, 6–2 Big Ten), which awaits its NCAA Tournament placement.
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 poll set to be released each Monday throughout the season.