Northwestern lacrosse is taking over the national stage in 2026.
On top of hosting the 2026 Division I Women’s Lacrosse Tournament Championships, the Wildcats and Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium will host the second annual “Lacrosse Day in Chicago” on April 4, NU Athletics announced Wednesday.
NU will take on USC in a doubleheader following a matchup between Notre Dame and Richmond’s men’s teams.
“The Midwest has embraced lacrosse in a powerful way, and we’re excited to celebrate that momentum by hosting ‘Lacrosse Day in Chicago’ on our lakefront,” Athletic Director Mark Jackson said. He said that the partnership with Notre Dame will “provide meaningful exposure for our venue.”
Last season, NU faced Michigan in the first installment of the event, where it set a program attendance record of 3,503 fans.
The contest against the Trojans is the first of two outdoor home games for the ’Cats this season, with seven additional home bouts taking place inside Ryan Fieldhouse.
The ’Cats enter the 2026 season following three straight championship game appearances, where they won in 2023 before falling in the two following years. They are led by senior attacker Madison Taylor, who broke the single-season Division I goals record in 2025 with 109 goals. [cq]
USC is looking for its seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament, as well as its third all-time win against NU.
The matchup between the Fighting Irish and the Spiders is the first Division I men’s lacrosse game at Martin Stadium. Notre Dame became the first Midwest school to win the men’s national championship in 2023, just as NU’s women’s squad was when they won the championship for the first time in 2005.
“It is fitting to bring our programs together to showcase the power and growth of the sport,” Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said.
Richmond is looking to reach the NCAA quarterfinal round for the second straight time, as it comes into 2026 off its best season in program history.
Martin Stadium is the first location outside of the Eastern Time Zone to host the women’s championship, and NU is the first school to host the championship rounds since Johns Hopkins in 2022.
First draw between Notre Dame and Richmond is set for 11:30 a.m., with the ’Cats and USC following at 2 p.m.
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