D1 lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing segments of college athletics — yet the program landscape looks nothing like football or basketball. Men's D1 lacrosse has approximately 75 programs. Women's D1 lacrosse has approximately 120. Both are concentrated in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic but expanding into the Southeast, Midwest, and West as the sport grows. For lacrosse families, understanding the geographic distribution, conference tiers, and scholarship structure is essential to building a realistic target list — because the difference between a traditional lacrosse powerhouse and an emerging program in a non-traditional region affects everything from competitive level to scholarship accessibility.
The challenge most lacrosse families face is that the sport's rapid growth means the landscape changes faster than in established sports. Programs that didn't exist five years ago are now recruiting. Conferences have realigned. Scholarship allocations have shifted as women's lacrosse achieves broader Title IX support. This guide maps the current D1 lacrosse landscape and helps families identify where their athlete fits.
The D1 lacrosse landscape: men's and women's
Men's D1 lacrosse (~75 programs).
Men's lacrosse has fewer D1 programs than any other major recruiting sport. The limited program count means roster spots are genuinely competitive — there are fewer landing spots, which makes accurate self-assessment and targeted outreach essential. Programs are concentrated in the Northeast (ACC, Ivy League, Patriot League, America East) with emerging presence in the Big East, CAA, and newer conferences that have added lacrosse.
Women's D1 lacrosse (~120 programs).
Women's lacrosse has grown dramatically — adding programs faster than almost any other college sport. The expansion is driven by Title IX compliance (schools adding women's lacrosse to balance football roster numbers) and genuine growth in youth participation. Women's programs exist across a wider geographic range than men's, including schools in the SEC, Big 12, ACC, and conferences that traditionally didn't sponsor lacrosse. This growth creates opportunity: newer programs are actively recruiting and building rosters, which means scholarship money and playing time are more accessible than at established programs.
The geographic reality:
| Region | Men's D1 density | Women's D1 density | Key conferences |
|---|
| Northeast | Very high | Very high | Ivy League, Patriot League, America East, MAAC, NEC |
| Mid-Atlantic | High | High | ACC, Big East, CAA, ASUN |
| Southeast | Growing | Growing fast | ACC (southern schools), ASUN, Sun Belt, AAC |
| Midwest | Moderate | Moderate | Big Ten, Summit League |
| West | Limited | Growing | Pac-12 remnants, MPSF, individual programs |
For athletes outside the traditional lacrosse corridor (Northeast/Mid-Atlantic), this geographic distribution has recruiting implications. Emerging programs in the Southeast and Midwest are actively building rosters from scratch — they're looking for athletes, and the recruiting competition for spots at those programs is lower than at established Northeast programs.
Conference tiers and what they recruit
D1 lacrosse conferences fall into distinct competitive tiers that determine recruiting intensity, scholarship budgets, and the type of athlete each program targets.
Tier 1: Traditional lacrosse powers.
The ACC (Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Notre Dame) and Big Ten (Maryland, Johns Hopkins, Ohio State, Michigan, Rutgers) house the sport's historically dominant programs. These programs recruit nationally, targeting the top talent from elite club programs. The Ivy League (Cornell, Princeton, Yale) competes at this level athletically but offers need-based financial aid rather than athletic scholarships. Recruiting to Tier 1 programs requires All-American level club performance, elite measurables, and — for the Ivies — exceptional academics.
Tier 2: Strong competitive programs.
The Big East (Georgetown, Denver, Providence, Villanova), Patriot League (Lehigh, Army, Navy, Loyola Maryland, Colgate), and CAA (Towson, Drexel, Hofstra, Delaware) produce NCAA tournament teams regularly. These programs recruit from strong club programs regionally and nationally but draw from a slightly wider talent band than Tier 1. The Patriot League offers athletic scholarships for lacrosse (both men's and women's), making it one of the most financially attractive options for academically strong lacrosse athletes.
Tier 3: Competitive mid-major programs.
America East, MAAC (Metro Atlantic), NEC (Northeast Conference), and the Southern Conference house programs that compete at a solid D1 level with more accessible recruiting pathways. Athletes who are strong club players but not elite national-level recruits have realistic opportunities here. These programs recruit more regionally, attend fewer national showcases, and are more responsive to direct outreach.
Tier 4: Emerging programs.
Programs in the ASUN, Sun Belt, AAC, and other conferences that have recently added lacrosse are actively building their rosters. These schools — often in the Southeast, Midwest, or West — are recruiting for depth as they establish their programs. The competitive level is developing, but for athletes in non-traditional lacrosse regions, these programs offer D1 competition close to home. Scholarship money at emerging programs can be more accessible because the recruiting pipeline is less established.
Scholarship availability at D1 lacrosse programs
The lacrosse scholarship structure differs significantly between men's and women's programs — and both differ from most other sports.
Men's D1 lacrosse: 12.6 equivalency scholarships. Men's lacrosse is an equivalency sport, meaning coaches split 12.6 full scholarships into partial awards across the roster. A typical D1 men's lacrosse roster carries 40–50 players, which means the average scholarship covers roughly 25–30% of cost of attendance. Full rides are rare. Walk-on spots are common at every program level. The scholarship math at men's lacrosse programs:
| Program tier | Typical scholarship range | Walk-on spots per class |
|---|
| Tier 1 (ACC, Big Ten) | 25–50% for recruited athletes | 3–6 per year |
| Tier 2 (Big East, Patriot, CAA) | 20–40% for recruited athletes | 4–8 per year |
| Tier 3 (America East, MAAC, NEC) | 15–35% for recruited athletes | 5–10 per year |
| Tier 4 (Emerging programs) | 25–50% (building rosters) | 6–12 per year |
Women's D1 lacrosse: 12 equivalency scholarships. Women's lacrosse follows the same equivalency model as men's with 12 scholarships split across rosters of 28–35 players. The per-athlete average is slightly higher than men's because rosters are smaller. Women's programs at emerging schools may offer more generous individual awards to attract talent while building the program.
The Ivy League exception. Ivy League programs (Cornell, Princeton, Yale, Penn, Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia) offer no athletic scholarships at all. Financial aid is entirely need-based. But Ivy need-based aid is exceptionally generous for qualifying families — an Ivy financial aid package can cover more than a partial athletic scholarship elsewhere. Athletes targeting Ivy programs need to qualify academically first; the lacrosse evaluation follows.
For the complete scholarship math — including how to compare partial offers across divisions and negotiate — see the lacrosse athletic scholarships guide.
Emerging lacrosse programs outside the traditional Northeast corridor
The most significant trend in D1 lacrosse is geographic expansion. Programs in regions that had minimal lacrosse presence a decade ago are now competing at the D1 level — and they're actively recruiting.
Southeast expansion. Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas have added D1 lacrosse programs across multiple conferences. Schools like Florida, Jacksonville, Mercer, and Kennesaw State are building programs that recruit from the growing Southeast youth lacrosse pipeline. For athletes in these states, local D1 options didn't exist a few years ago — now they do, with scholarship money available.
Midwest growth. Programs in Ohio, Michigan, and the Great Lakes region are expanding. The Big Ten's addition of lacrosse (Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers, Maryland, Penn State, Johns Hopkins) has elevated Midwest lacrosse visibility. Summit League and Horizon League programs provide additional options.
West Coast development. D1 lacrosse on the West Coast remains limited but growing. Individual programs in California and Colorado recruit from a smaller but increasingly competitive West Coast youth pipeline. For West Coast athletes, the limited local D1 options mean most recruiting conversations involve travel to the East Coast — but the athletes who make that commitment often face less recruiting competition for roster spots at mid-major and emerging programs.
Why emerging programs matter for your target list: a new program in the ASUN or Sun Belt that's actively building its roster will recruit more aggressively, offer more accessible scholarship packages, and provide more immediate playing time than an established Northeast program with a deep recruiting pipeline. Don't overlook these programs because they lack tradition — evaluate them on current competitiveness, coaching quality, and financial fit.
Building a target list for D1 lacrosse recruiting
Start with honest self-assessment. If your athlete plays on an elite nationally ranked club team and is generating interest from Tier 1 programs, the target list should center there. If they play on a strong regional club but aren't in the national conversation, Tier 2 and Tier 3 programs are the realistic targets — and those programs offer competitive lacrosse, meaningful scholarship money, and genuine development environments.
Build across tiers, not just within one. Include 3–5 reach programs (one tier above current interest level), 8–10 fit programs (where your athlete's profile matches the roster), and 3–5 accessible programs (where the fit is clear and the scholarship opportunity is strongest). For the framework on building this list, see our guide to building a college recruiting target list.
Include emerging programs deliberately. An athlete from Georgia targeting only Northeast programs is ignoring local D1 options where scholarship money is more accessible and the recruiting competition is lower. Include 2–3 emerging programs in your region — the financial and competitive fit may surprise you.
Use the showcase circuit strategically. Lacrosse recruiting runs through showcases more than almost any other sport. NLF events, 3d Lacrosse showcases, and college prospect days are where coaches evaluate recruits. Attend events where coaches from your target tier are confirmed. For a full breakdown of which showcase events are worth attending, see our guide to lacrosse recruiting camps and showcases.
Email coaches with specificity. Reference your club team, showcase results, specific interest in the program (not generic "I want to play D1 lacrosse"), and include film. Lacrosse coaches at Tier 2 and below are highly responsive to well-crafted direct outreach. For the email template, see our guide on how to email a lacrosse college coach.
Understand the men's vs. women's recruiting timeline difference. Men's lacrosse has historically seen earlier verbal commitments (freshman/sophomore year for elite D1). Women's lacrosse recruiting timelines have compressed but remain slightly later. Regardless of gender, the summer between sophomore and junior year is the primary D1 evaluation window. For the full timeline, see the lacrosse recruiting timeline.
The bottom line
D1 lacrosse is a landscape in transition — growing geographically, adding programs, and expanding scholarship opportunities beyond the traditional Northeast corridor. The families who build the best target lists are the ones who evaluate programs across the full tier spectrum, include emerging programs alongside traditional powers, and understand that the fastest path to a D1 roster may run through a Tier 3 or Tier 4 program rather than through the same 10 programs every recruit targets.
For the full recruiting timeline that maps when evaluations, commitments, and signing periods happen, see the lacrosse recruiting timeline. For the scholarship math — including men's vs. women's differences and how equivalency splitting works — the lacrosse athletic scholarships guide covers the numbers. For how to evaluate which showcase events are worth attending, our guide to lacrosse recruiting camps breaks down NLF, 3d Lacrosse, and college prospect days. For the position-specific evaluation criteria coaches use at every division, the lacrosse recruiting standards guide covers what coaches look for by position. And for the email that starts the conversation with a coach, the lacrosse coach email guide has the sport-specific template and timing.