BREAKING: Northwestern lacrosse earns No. 1 overall seed in 2026 NCAA Tournament

ANN ARBOR, MI - April 26: The Northwestern Wildcats are handed the Big Ten Tournament trophy after defeating the Maryland Terrapins in overtime in the Big Ten Women's Lacrosse final on April 26, 2026 at U-M Lacrosse Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Paul Barnick/Big Ten/University Images via Getty Images).

They say home is where the heart is, and Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium certainly fits that billing.

On Sunday night, the official bracket for the 2026 NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse tournament was revealed live on ESPNU. Northwestern (15-3, 7-1 B1G) was awarded the No. 1 overall seed for the third time in four seasons, earning a first-round bye as the top team in the bracket. The Wildcats will face the winner of James Madison and Notre Dame on Sunday, May 10 at their home stadium in Evanston.

The ‘Cats boast the nation’s No. 1 RPI ranking and the strongest strength of schedule, factors that likely solidified their case to the selection committee after securing an automatic bid by capturing the Big Ten Tournament championship. According to the NCAA’s official release, Northwestern has a national-best 11 RPI top-20 wins this season and owns seven top-10 RPI victories. The program has advanced beyond the tournament’s opening weekend every year since 2018.

But the real prize for the No. 1 seed is this: Northwestern’s path will not have to leave Evanston at any point during the NCAA tournament. Because the Wildcats are hosting the entire 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship from May 22 to May 24 at Martin Stadium, and because they earned the top overall seed, their path to a national title runs exclusively through their lakefront home. Every single game this postseason, from the second round to the semifinals to a potential championship, will be played on the field where they have not lost in nearly seven years.

Northwestern has won 25 consecutive games at Martin Stadium dating back to April 18, 2019. That streak alone is daunting. But consider this: all three of Northwestern’s losses this season came inside their indoor practice facility, not outdoors at Martin Stadium. The Wildcats are undefeated on their true home turf in 2026. No team has figured out how to beat them on that field, and now the entire NCAA tournament will have to try.