Men's Lacrosse Receives First Round Bye in SSC Tournament After Claiming No. 1 Seed

ORLANDO, Fla. - The 12th Sunshine State Conference Men's Lacrosse Tournament opens April 18th with first-round matchups hosted by the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Semifinals will be played Wednesday, April 22nd, at the campuses of the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds. The championship game is set for Saturday, April 25th, at the site of the highest remaining seed.

Four of the six teams in the 2026 SSC Men's Lacrosse Championship are featured in the national rankings from United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.

At the top of the bracket sits the University of Tampa, which claimed the regular-season title outright after an undefeated run through conference play. The Spartans capped the regular season with a 6-5 win over Florida Tech to secure the No. 1 seed. Tampa has now captured at least a share of the regular-season crown nine times since the sport's debut in 2014 and enters the postseason ranked No. 2 in the nation. The Spartans are also in pursuit of their 10th tournament title, having won every championship except 2023*.

Florida Tech earned the No. 2 seed after finishing just behind Tampa in the standings. The Panthers enter the tournament ranked No. 7 nationally and, along with the Spartans, receive a first-round bye and hosting rights for the semifinals.

The opening round features two recent rematches.

No. 3 Saint Leo University hosts No. 6 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University after the Lions picked up a 15-12 win over the Eagles on April 11th. Saint Leo finished 5-2 in conference play and enters the tournament ranked No. 16, while Embry-Riddle closed at 2-5.

No. 4 Florida Southern College welcomes No. 5 Rollins College in the other first-round matchup. The Mocs edged the Tars 12-11 last week, though Rollins claimed the earlier meeting between the two in nonconference play. Rollins also received votes in the latest USILA rankings.

NCAA Division II postseason for men's lacrosse begins with regional play on Wednesday, May 6th at non-predetermined sites and concludes at the national championship on Sunday, May 24th at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia. The NCAA will announce postseason selections on Sunday, May 3rd.

For more information, please visit the Championship Central page.