The 2025 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament has the potential to be one of the best of all time. As we wrap up conference postseason play this weekend, we’ll quickly shift our focus to the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament and break down the bracket piece by piece. Even without the conference tournament champions being decided, we have a pretty good idea of which teams will at least be featured in the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament as at minimum an at-large bid.
This is the first year in quite some time where you can genuinely make an argument for 10 teams potentially winning the whole thing. A big reason for that is no conference is having a down year.
ACC (Notre Dame – North Carolina – Duke – Syracuse)
The ACC has rounded out nicely with Notre Dame and North Carolina sharing the regular season title, followed by Duke and Syracuse right on their heels. With the ACC consistently being the best conference in college lacrosse, any team can beat anyone on any given day. That’s what will make the ACC tournament so interesting to watch over the next couple of days. It’s nice to see UNC back in the conversation, as that team has really struggled to find momentum the past few years.
The only team in the ACC that truly struggled was Virginia, but the other four teams mentioned legitimately have the potential to beat any team in the country, given the opportunity—which is exactly what the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament is all about: an opportunity to prove yourself. The ACC has consistently stepped it up a notch heading into May, and Notre Dame, Duke, UNC, and Syracuse all have the pieces to make a run.
Big Ten (Ohio State – Maryland – Penn State)
The Big Ten is having one of its strongest years in quite some time. Ohio State handled business in the regular season and emerged as Big Ten regular season champions. It’s fascinating to think that Nick Myers was on the “hot seat” at the beginning of the year but closed the regular season with a 12-2 record. Maryland and Penn State have also been absolute powerhouses this season, each securing 10-win seasons thanks to stellar defensive play. That’s really what the Big Ten has come down to this season—elite defenses. Ohio State, Maryland, and Penn State all rank within the top 10 of scoring defenses in Division 1 lacrosse. At the end of the day, the old saying rings true: defense wins championships.
Much like every other team in the country, each Big Ten team in the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament has its flaws. But as previously mentioned, it’s all about the opportunity to prove yourself, and all it takes is one good run to make it to Memorial Day weekend. The Big Ten has shaped up to be in a position to do that this year, and it will be very interesting to see if any of these teams collapse come May.
Ivy League (Cornell – Princeton – Harvard)
The Ivy League has had a strong year at the top as well. Cornell has truly established itself as the number one team in the country, with a strong resume and a 12-1 record, their only loss coming to Penn State. Princeton has typically fallen right behind them in most of the NCAA men’s lacrosse media polls, ranked number two or three with an 11-2 record. It really seemed like multiple times this year that one of these two teams would drop the ball and slip down the rankings, but that didn’t happen. If anything, these Ivy League powerhouse programs have found their groove heading into May, which is exactly what you want.
Harvard has been one of the more exciting stories to watch over the past few years. The team has always been on the brink of greatness but has struggled to put together a consistent season without a few hiccups along the way that have prevented them from making an Ivy League or postseason run. This year, however, the Crimson are 10-3 and have one of the best offenses in the country. I surely hope Harvard makes it to at least the quarterfinals, as I think any team they play will be absolute cinema.
Conclusion
With all that being said, there are about four teams from the ACC, three from the Big Ten, and three from the Ivy League that legitimately seem like they can make a run not just at Championship Weekend but at an NCAA men’s lacrosse National Championship. The only team not featured from one of the previously mentioned conferences is Army, who is part of the mix as well. The writing is on the wall, and the regular season has set the stage for a sensational postseason tournament. Some of these 10 teams may have better odds than others, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the opportunity.
In 2016, North Carolina had the opportunity as an at-large bid to compete for a national championship, and they did exactly that. It really seems like the 2025 NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament will be pure chaos. While some teams have stronger records than others, those records go out the window when you’re playing postseason lacrosse in May.
