
- What: The 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship
- Who: The top contenders to take home the men’s championship title
- Where: East Hartford, Conn. at Rentschler Field
- When: May 29 – 31, 2022
Held each year to determine the top collegiate team in men’s lacrosse, the 2022 NCAA Division I Lacrosse Championship will be an exciting showcase for the end of the spring semester. Set up as a 16 team tournament, eight teams are guaranteed entrance into the final competition while the remaining eight squads are at-large selections determined by an NCAA committee. In the 2021 edition of the tournament, Virginia won a back-and-forth shootout with Maryland to give the Cavaliers their seventh NCAA lacrosse title.
For this year’s edition, MTS has provided you with a breakdown of the top four contenders to take home the championship. Check it out below!
NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship Contenders | |
North Carolina | TBA |
Virginia | TBA |
Duke | TBA |
Maryland | TBA |
The Number One Contender: North Carolina (Odds: TBA)
The number-one ranked team in the country, the Tar Heels are seeking their sixth overall championship in 2022. After qualifying for their 14th Final Four in team history last season, North Carolina fell 12-11 to Virginia in the tournament semi-finals. A rematch with the Cavaliers is pretty likely again in May as the two teams are battling for the No. 1 spot in the NCAA rankings. The Tar Heels feature a veteran roster that can hang with any other squad in America.
Number Two: Virginia (Odds: TBA)
One of the all-time great collegiate lacrosse programs, Virginia is coming off their seventh NCAA championship and ninth national title overall. In fact, the Cavaliers are technically back-to-back NCAA champions as they won the title back in 2019 and the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. Virginia is led by head coach Lars Tiffany who has helped spur Virginia’s return to the championship spotlight after they had not won a title since 2011. Even though they finished tied for fourth in the extremely competitive ACC last season, the Cavs were still able to lock down the NCAA Championship.
Number three: Duke (Odds: TBA)
Another ACC squad, Duke is angling for their fifth straight NCAA Final Four appearance and much more in 2022. The Blue Devils, a familiar foe for their arch-rival North Carolina, are coming off a strong 2021 season where they tied for the ACC championship and are currently ranked as the third best team in the nation. They have some work to do as the Blue Devils were thoroughly outmatched in their tournament semi-final last year against Maryland with the Terps blowing them out, 14-5. Coming off of their first conference title since 2014, Duke could be in line though for even bigger things in May.
Final contender: Maryland (Odds: TBA)
The only non-ACC team on this list, Maryland is a strong historic power in the NCAA lacrosse world and a dark horse contender for this season’s title. The Terps were runner-ups in the 2021 tournament and narrowly lost to Virginia in the title game, 17-16. Maryland will most likely have to face the Cavaliers again at some point and this loss will still be strong in each player’s mind for that matchup. So while Maryland might be able to exact their revenge against Virginia, it remains to be seen if they can consistently win against the other elite on this list.
Prediction: Though the Terrapins fell in heartbreaking fashion to Virginia in last year’s tournament, don’t expect the same to happen in 2022. This is because a new champion will rise as the North Carolina Tar Heels will claim their first title since 2016.
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