There’s nothing better in college athletics than well-developed rivalries. When it comes to college lacrosse, a few rivalries always stand out. Johns Hopkins and Maryland have always been a classic, partly due to Maryland’s regional relevance in lacrosse. Notre Dame and Denver had a strong run in the 2010s, always bringing out the best in both teams during big moments. These rivalries are great, but nothing compares to the hatred between the Michigan and Ohio State lacrosse programs.
While the other rivalries are specific to lacrosse, the Wolverines and Buckeyes have hated each other for a long time. In football, the matchup is referred to as “The Game” due to its grandeur and spectacle. The rivalry goes deep, and that animosity is always evident on the field. Both football programs have gone back and forth dating all the way back to 1897, and that has carried over into all other sports.
Ohio State has hosted a Division 1 lacrosse program for quite some time now, while Michigan made the jump in 2012. Both teams officially joined the Big Ten when it launched its men’s lacrosse section in 2015. Since then, the two teams have played 14 times, with Ohio State leading the series 8-6. However, things have gotten interesting in recent years. Ohio State owned the rivalry from 2015 until the end of 2022, with an 8-2 record. But in 2023, Michigan flipped the script, defeating Ohio State in both the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines repeated the feat in 2024, again taking down the Buckeyes in the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament, eventually becoming Big Ten champions.
This change coincides with Ohio State’s lack of recent success. Since 2022, the Buckeyes have gone 5-9 in 2023 and 6-9 in 2024. Coming into 2025, it seems like Michigan has taken over as the dominant team in the rivalry. As of the morning of Saturday, April 19th, both teams hold a 3-1 record in conference play and will face off at 4:00 p.m. to determine who will win the Big Ten regular season championship and earn the number-one seed in the tournament. You can’t ask for higher stakes than this. The rivalry already means so much to both players and fans alike, but now, with postseason implications on the line? It’s pure cinema.
The good news for the Wolverines is that it’s a home game, and the stadium will be packed with a sold-out crowd. On top of that, the Big Ten tournament runs through the University of Michigan this year, so regardless of the outcome, Ohio State will have to return to Ann Arbor very soon. Both Coach Conry and Coach Myers have surely done everything they can to prepare their teams for what’s going to be an all-out shootout.
Ohio State, with an impressive 11-2 record, really needs to come out on top to end their four-game losing streak against the Wolverines. Michigan, with a 7-5 record, desperately needs this win to push for a strong finish in the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament.
Regardless, the Big Ten regular season championship is on the line, and that’s more than enough reason for both teams to bring their A-game. Grab your popcorn and tune into the Big Ten Network at 4:00 p.m. today.
