Where to watch NCAA lacrosse tournament selection shows: Time, TV channel for men’s, women’s 2026 brackets originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Now that conference tournaments have concluded, it’s officially time to jump into the 2026 NCAA lacrosse tournaments, starting with the selection shows on Sunday.
The 2026 season has brought drama and intrigue throughout. With brackets announced Sunday, 29 women’s programs and 18 men’s programs will get ready to participate in single-elimination tournaments to ultimately decide this year’s national champions.
Once play is underway, they’ll fight for a spot in the title games on Memorial Day weekend. North Carolina and Northwestern won their respective conference championships, earning them automatic bids on the women’s side. Notre Dame and Princeton lead the contenders in a balanced potential men’s field.
Who will get the chance to dance?
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 NCAA lacrosse tournament selection shows, including TV channel and streaming options for each bracket reveal.
Where to watch NCAA lacrosse tournament selection shows: TV channel, live stream
- TV channel: ESPNU
- Live stream:fubo
The selection show for both the men’s and women’s lacrosse tournaments will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
Viewers can also stream the action with fubo which offers a free trial, so you can try before you buy.
Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)
What time is the NCAA lacrosse tournament selection show?
- Date: Sunday, May 3
- Time: 9 p.m. ET (women’s) | 9:30 p.m. ET (men’s)
The 2026 NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament selection show begins at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3. It will be immediately followed by the NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament selection show, which is slated for 9:30 p.m. ET.
NCAA lacrosse tournament selection format
The NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament consists of 29 teams, with 15 automatic bids and 14 at-large selections. Automatic bids are earned by teams that won their respective conference.
The top three teams earn first-round byes, with the remaining 26 teams competing in the first round to kickstart the 2025 tournament.
The men’s tournament field consists of just 18 teams, with eight at-large spots up for grabs. Ten teams are automatic qualifiers, after winning their respective conference tournaments.
Four teams compete in an Opening Round matchup for the right to advance to the First Round, when the bracket will then function like a normal, single-elimination tournament.
NCAA lacrosse tournament schedule 2026
Women’s NCAA Tournament
| Round | Dates |
|---|---|
| Selection Show | May 3 |
| First Round | May 8 |
| Second Round | May 10 |
| Quarterfinals | May 14 |
| Semifinals | May 22 |
| Final | May 24 |
Men’s NCAA Tournament
| Round | Dates |
|---|---|
| Selection Show | May 3 |
| First Round | May 9-10 |
| Quarterfinals | May 16-17 |
| Semifinals | May 23 |
| Final | May 25 |
NCAA lacrosse tournament history
Here are the winners from the last 10 NCAA lacrosse tournaments, for both the men’s and the women’s.
| Year | Women’s Champion | Men’s Champion |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | North Carolina | Cornell |
| 2024 | Boston College | Notre Dame |
| 2023 | Northwestern | Notre Dame |
| 2022 | North Carolina | Maryland |
| 2021 | Boston College | Virginia |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A |
| 2019 | Maryland | Virginia |
| 2018 | James Madison | Yale |
| 2017 | Maryland | Maryland |
| 2016 | North Carolina | North Carolina |
| 2015 | Maryland | Denver |