Northwestern has been the team to beat all season in NCAA women’s lacrosse. Now, it’s time to see if the Wildcats can win back-to-back national championships.
The 2024 NCAA tournament will get underway May 10, with the Wildcats (15-2) as the top overall seed. The 2023 champs aren’t a lock to repeat, though, as evidenced by the pair of losses on their resume and two close calls in the Big Ten Tournament heading into NCAAs.
Northwestern’s top challenger figures to be 2021 champ Boston College (16-3), which will look for its second title amid an agonizing recent run in NCAAs. The Eagles have been to six consecutive championship games, losing all but one.
B.C. enters the tournament riding high after winning the ACC Tournament and will be hoping to avenge a regular-season home loss to Northwestern when it really matters.
The balance of power in women’s lacrosse rests squarely on the ACC-Big Ten axis, with Syracuse, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Virginia also expected to contend for the title.
Here’s how to watch all the action on the way to the national championship.
NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament bracket 2024
The 2024 NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament will feature 29 teams, with the top three seeds receiving first-round byes. There are eight nationally seeded teams overall, and they will host first- and second-round games.
National seeds
- No. 1: Northwestern
- No. 2: Boston College
- No. 3: Syracuse
- No. 4: Maryland
- No. 5: Virginia
- No. 6: Yale
- No. 7: Notre Dame
- No. 8: Penn
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐃𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 🥍🏆#NCAAWLAX pic.twitter.com/EfchNSyHMB
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) May 6, 2024
NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament schedule, scores
First round
Top seed Northwestern has a bye and will face the Denver-Stanford winner in the second round, while No. 2 seed Boston College will play Princeton or Drexel and No. 3 seed Syracuse awaits Stony Brook or Niagara.
| Date | Game | Host | Time (ET) | Live stream |
| May 10 | No. 4 Maryland vs. Robert Morris | Maryland | 12 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | No. 6 Yale vs. Binghamton | Yale | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | No. 7 Notre Dame vs. Coastal Carolina | Notre Dame | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | Stony Brook vs. Niagara | Syracuse | 2 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | Penn State vs. James Madison | Maryland | 3 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | No. 5 Virginia vs. LIU | Virginia | 3 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | Johns Hopkins vs. Fairfield | Yale | 4 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | Michigan vs. Mercer | Notre Dame | 4 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | Princeton vs. Drexel | Boston College | 4 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | Denver vs. Stanford | Northwestern | 4 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | Loyola (Md.) vs. Duke | Penn | 4 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | Florida vs. North Carolina | Virginia | 6 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 10 | No. 8 Penn vs. Richmond | Penn | 7 p.m. | ESPN+ |
Second round
| Date | Game | Host | Time (ET) | Live stream |
| May 12 | No. 2 Boston College vs. Princeton/Drexel | Boston College | 12 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 12 | No. 7 Notre Dame/Coastal Carolina vs. Michigan/Mercer | Notre Dame | 12 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 12 | No. 4 Maryland/Robert Morris vs. Penn State/JMU | Maryland | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 12 | No. 8 Penn/Richmond vs. Loyola (Md.)/Duke | Penn | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 12 | No. 5 Virginia/LIU vs. Florida/North Carolina | Virginia | 1 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 12 | No. 1 Northwestern vs. Denver/Stanford | Northwestern | 2 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 12 | No. 3 Syracuse vs. Stony Brook/Niagara | Syracuse | 2 p.m. | ESPN+ |
| May 12 | No. 6 Yale/Binghamton vs. Johns Hopkins/Fairfield | Yale | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
Quarterfinals
Quarterfinal games will be played at campus sites to be determined.
| Date | Game | Host | Time (ET) | Channel/Live stream |
| May 16 | TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD | ESPNU, Fubo |
| May 16 | TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD | ESPNU, Fubo |
| May 16 | TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD | ESPNU, Fubo |
| May 16 | TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD | ESPNU, Fubo |
Semifinals
The NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament semifinals will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Channel/Live stream |
| Fri., May 24 | TBD vs. TBD | 3 p.m. | ESPNU, Fubo |
| Fri., May 24 | TBD vs. TBD | 5:30 p.m. | ESPNU, Fubo |
National championship game
The national championship game will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Channel/Live stream |
| Sun., May 26 | Semifinal winners | 12 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo |
NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament TV channel, live stream
The first two rounds will air exclusively on ESPN+. The quarterfinals and semifinals will air on ESPNU, and the championship game will be on ESPN. Fans can stream every game from the quarterfinals on via Fubo, which offers a free trial.
If NCAA lacrosse games are not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
NCAA lacrosse tournament tickets 2024
Tickets for both the NCAA women’s lacrosse championship are available for purchase on StubHub, using the link below.
