The Road to the Championship
National Participation
There are 73 NCAA member institutions that sponsor Division I Men’s Lacrosse teams and are eligible to compete in the National Championship. All 73 programs support approximately 3,000 Men's Lacrosse student-athletes across the country.
Selection Process
The Division I Men’s Lacrosse Committees is charged with selecting the field of teams and assembling the championship bracket. The Division I Committee is comprised of five members, made up of coaches and administrators.
DIVISION I SELECTION CRITERIA:
The committee will utilize the following criteria to select and seed teams:
• Strength of schedule index.
• Results of the RPI.
- Record against ranked teams 1-5; 6-10; 11-15; 16-20; 21+
- Average RPI win (average RPI of all wins)
- Average RPI loss (average RPI of all losses)
• Head-to-head competition:
- Results versus common opponents.
- Significant wins and losses (wins against teams ranked higher in the RPI and losses against teams ranked lower in the RPI).
- Locations of contests.
• Input from the regional advisory committee (comprised of lacrosse coaches from all AQ conferences).
Selection Show - Sunday, May 9, 2027
The 2027 NCAA Division I Men’s Championships brackets will be announced the second Sunday in May prior to first-round competition.
Opening Round - Wednesday, May 12, 2027
Two Opening Round games will be conducted at one predetermined sites. The winning team will advance to the First Round
First Round - Saturday, May 15 or Sunday, May 16, 2027
Eight First Round games will be conducted at eight predetermined sites. The winning team from each game will advance to the Quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals - Saturday, May 22 or Sunday, May 23, 2027
Four Quarterfinals games will be conducted at either Annapolis, MD or Providence, RI. The winning team from each of the four Quarterfinals will advance to the championship final site.
DI Men's Lacrosse Championship - May 29 & 31, 2027
The Men’s Lacrosse Championships will be held May 29 & 31, 2027. For the Division I Men's Championship two semifinal games will be held on May 29. The two teams winning in the semifinals will advance and compete in the Division I National Championship game which will take place on May 31, 2027.