Since Northwestern’s class of 2026 arrived on campus in September 2022, the Wildcats have captured five national championships — the most in a four-year span in school history.

Beyond the status as the university’s winningest graduating class, this year’s seniors have experienced no shortage of sports headlines. Here are 10 of the most notable.

Men’s basketball returns to March Madness

Behind the playmaking prowess of Boo Buie, Northwestern’s eventual all-time scoring leader, the Wildcats secured their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2017 in an improbable 2022-23 campaign. NU downed Boise State 75-67 in Sacramento, California, on March 16, 2023, before falling 68-63 to UCLA two nights later.

A year later, the ’Cats secured a second March Madness selection in as many years — marking the program’s first-ever back-to-back bids. It was a homecoming for the New York native Buie in the Barclays Center. Northwestern defeated FAU 77-65 in an overtime thriller, but the injury-riddled ’Cats were no match for 2024 national champion UConn in a 75-58 defeat.

Lacrosse captures eighth national title

An 11-year national championship drought snapped in emphatic fashion on May 28, 2023, when Northwestern dismantled Boston College 18-6 in WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. Izzy Scane and Madison Taylor combined for eight goals as the Wildcats completed a dominant run atop collegiate lacrosse.

In hindsight, NU’s 2023 attack — featuring Scane, Taylor, Erin Coykendall and Hailey Rhatigan — stacks up with the top offensive units ever assembled.

The Pat Fitzgerald saga

On July 7, 2023, then-University President Michael Schill suspended football coach Pat Fitzgerald for two weeks at the conclusion of a university hazing investigation. Then, The Daily published a former player’s detailed allegations on July 8.

That night, Schill wrote in an email to community members that he “may have erred” in his initial punishment of Fitzgerald. Schill proceeded to fire Fitzgerald on July 10, 2023, kicking off a multi-year legal battle. On August 21, 2025, Fitzgerald and the University settled his wrongful termination and defamation case for an unknown sum.

This past November, Fitzgerald claimed he was “100% vindicated.” Michigan State hired Fitzgerald as its football coach on Dec. 1, 2025. The Spartans and Wildcats will face off on Oct. 17 in Spartan Stadium.

Mark Jackson named athletic director

On August 28, 2024, NU hired Villanova Athletic Director Mark Jackson to fill the same role in Evanston. Jackson succeeded Derrick Gragg.

Since his hiring, Jackson has helped guide the ’Cats through the transition process into the new Ryan Field and successfully launched a bid to host the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Tournament’s Championship Weekend at Martin Stadium.

Field Hockey hoists second national championship

Northwestern captured its second national championship in emphatic fashion, defeating Saint Joseph’s 5-0 in the title game in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Nov. 24, 2024. Led by 2024 Paris Olympians Ashley Sessa and Maddie Zimmer, the ’Cats went 23-1 in a dominant campaign.

The result followed heartbreak in the previous two seasons, when NU dropped back-to-back championships to North  Carolina.

Women’s golf stuns Stanford for national championship

Northwestern women’s golf defeated No. 1 Stanford 3-2 in championship match play to secure the program’s first-ever national championship on May 21, 2025. Dianna Lee clinched the title with a clutch putt on the 18th green.

Lee, Lauryn Nguyen and Hsin Tai Lin all earned match victories to lead coach Emily Fletcher’s squad to the championship in Carlsbad, California. This was the program’s first championship match appearance since 2017.

Fuchs, field hockey repeat as national champs

Despite dropping just one defeat in regular-season play, Northwestern didn’t receive a top-four seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This meant the ’Cats would be away from Lakeside Field for the duration of their postseason run.

It didn’t matter for a program that began the season with eight consecutive road victories. En route to its third-ever and second consecutive national title, Northwestern took down Miami (Ohio), UNC and Princeton in one-goal games. The ’Cats defeated the Tigers 2-1 in double overtime to secure the title. 

David Braun makes his imprint on NU football

Elevated from defensive coordinator to interim head coach in the wake of Fitzgerald’s firing, David Braun landed the permanent gig during a stunning 8-5 season in 2023 that culminated in a Las Vegas Bowl win.

After a disappointing 4-8 season the following year, Braun guided NU back to bowl eligibility in 2025, winning the last-ever GameAbove Sports Bowl in Detroit against Central Michigan.

The defensive-minded coach has since made a series of splash offseason moves, hiring Chip Kelly as NU’s offensive coordinator and bringing in former Michigan State and Oregon State quarterback Aidan Chiles as the presumptive QB1. As the ’Cats 2026 personnel took shape, the program boasted both continuity and dynamic new additions.

Carla Berube hired as women’s basketball coach

On March 25, Northwestern announced the hire of former Princeton coach Carla Berube to spearhead the next era of Wildcat women’s basketball. A 26-year coaching veteran, Berube boasted an 83.5% winning percentage with the Tigers.

Berube replaced Joe McKeown, who held his role from 2008 to his retirement at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Lacrosse wins national title No. 9 on home soil

Northwestern bookended a magic season in storybook fashion, knocking off UNC 14-11 in the national championship on May 24 at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.Madison Taylor, who scored a game-high seven points, went on to win the 2026 Tewaaraton Award — the most coveted individual honor in college lacrosse.

The Wildcats began the year 5-3, falling to unranked Ohio State in their Big Ten opener. But Kelly Amonte Hiller, who surpassed her mentor Cindy Timchal with her ninth national title as a coach, helped forge a remarkable in-season turnaround. 

NU defeated three IWLCA No. 1 ranked squads and became the first team to win a national championship on its home field since Maryland in 1986.

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Related stories: 

— Four years of headlines: revisiting the news during the Class of 2026’s time at NU

— Letter from the Editors: Adapting amid challenges

— Gallery: The best of four years: from Northwestern’s campus to the city by its side