With the calendar flipped to 2026, we are now on a short runway to the start of Syracuse lacrosse season at the beginning of February.
That lead up to take-off starts this week with the release of the first preseason media poll for the 2026 season, published by USA Lacrosse Magazine on Monday.
Voted on by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff and contributors with input from college coaches, the USA Lacrosse preseason Top 20 saw the men clock in at the No. 2 spot with the women falling just outside the Top 10
at No. 11.
Coming off their return to the Final Four for the first time in 12 years, expectations are high for the men as they return a veteran team this spring. USA Lacrosse agrees with that sentiment as they placed the Orange second in the country behind last year’s national runners-up, the Maryland Terrapins at No. 1.
Princeton comes in at No. 3, followed by Georgetown at No. 4 and North Carolina rounding out the Top 5. Cornell, Notre Dame, Duke, Penn State and Richmond complete the Top 10.
If you recall from ‘Cuse’s schedule release last month, the Orange have an exceedingly difficult slate lined up for this season, which is supported by these rankings. SU is set to face 10 teams in the USA Top 20, including six in the Top 10 and all four of the other teams in the Top 5.
The men’s opponents in these rankings are as follows: Maryland (No. 1), Princeton (No. 3), Georgetown (No. 4), North Carolina (No. 5), Notre Dame (No. 7), Duke (No. 8), Harvard (No. 12), Virginia (No. 13), Boston University (No. 16), Johns Hopkins (No. 17) and Denver (“also considered”).
Coming off their worst record since 2018 at 10-9, the women have a new coach in Regy Thorpe and are looking for a reset with a young roster that has another year of experience under their belts.
The Orange have to be a tough team to evaluate for these preseason polls with so much unknown at the start of a new coaching era. The USA Lacrosse voters have chosen to place ‘Cuse at No. 11 to start the year.
The top of the women’s poll is occupied by the defending, undefeated national champs, the North Carolina Tar Heels unsurprisingly coming it at No. 1. They’re followed by the usual suspects with Northwestern at No. 2 and Boston College at No. 3, then Florida at No. 4 and Princeton at No. 5. Stanford, Virginia, Maryland, Clemson and Johns Hopkins close out the Top 10 ahead of the Orange at 11.
Just like the men, the women have a very difficult schedule lined up. They’re set to face nine teams in the Top 20, including six in the Top 10 and all of the top three.
The women’s opponents in these rankings are as follows: North Carolina (No. 1), Northwestern (No. 2), Boston College (No. 3), Stanford (No. 6), Virginia (No. 7), Maryland (No. 8), Yale (No. 15), Duke (No. 17) and Loyola (No. 18).
Syracuse lacrosse season gets underway in February, with the men hosting No. 16 Boston University on Sunday, February 1 and the women hosting No. 8 Maryland on Friday, February 6.
