NCAA lacrosse tournament schedule, bracket: Breaking down the quarterfinal matchups

NCAA lacrosse tournament schedule, bracket: Breaking down the quarterfinal matchups

We’ve reached the quarterfinal round of the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament. That means from this point forward, all games will be at predetermined sites.

But even though there won’t technically be a home-field advantage for any program, there should still be plenty of partisan spectators in attendance, as the list of the eight teams yet standing includes some of the most historically successful and well-supported programs in the sport. But the group also features a couple of programs that have been close but have yet to claim the ultimate prize. Here’s a quick look at the events for the penultimate weekend of the season.

NCAA men's lacrosse tournament schedule

Saturday, May 16

At Hempstead, N.Y.

No. 2 Notre Dame vs. Johns Hopkins, noon ET

No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 6 Syracuse, 2:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, May 17

At Newark, Del.

No. 1 Princeton vs. No. 8 Penn State, noon ET

Duke vs. Georgetown, 2:30 p.m. ET

NCAA men's lacrosse tournament storylines

Saturday’s opening contest figures to be a low-scoring affair. The Fighting Irish lead the remaining eight teams in scoring defense, surrendering just 8.54 goals a game, while the Blue Jays are coming off their best defensive half of the season in last week’s first-round triumph against defending champ Cornell. Both teams rely heavily on their top midfield units to initiate scoring opportunities, so there might be less activity than usual behind both cages.

The second game on Long Island will guarantee an ACC presence at Championship Weekend. The Tar Heels have already beaten Syracuse twice this season, though the Orange closed the gap from a 14-9 loss in Chapel Hill in the regular season to a 12-10 decision in the ACC tournament semifinal. Syracuse has all-star talent at every position, but its free-wheeling style can lead to mistakes that have hurt the Orange against top-tier competition. UNC, sent packing in the first round a year ago, has been a more consistent outfit in 2026.

A battle of big cats leads off the Sunday twin bill in Delaware. Like Cornell a year ago, the Ivy Leaguers from Princeton are looking to snap a lengthy national championship drought, having last hoisted the trophy in 2001. The are still seeking their first title, but a win here would send them to their third Final Four in four years. The game is also a rematch, though much has changed for both teams since Penn State’s 13-7 victory way back on Valentine’s Day. The Tigers have been playing their best lacrosse down the stretch, while the Nittany Lions overcame inconsistency over the first few weeks of the campaign to claim the Big Ten crown.