#D3Lax Bracketology:
OWU, Middlebury, Gettysburg, Roanoke, Williams competing for final spot?
April 25, 2024 - Automatic bids for the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Tournament begin to be handed out this weekend. So, in our best “blogger in mom’s basement” mode, here are the 38 teams we think make the NCAA Tournament as of today, April 25, 2024, as we head into the final regular season weekend.
Per the NCAA, 27 automatic qualifying conferences exist. One qualifier will come from Pool B, made up of independent institutions and institutions that are part of a conference that does not receive an AQ. The Coastal Lacrosse Conference meets that criteria for Pool B. Pool C fills out the bracket with 10 at-large invites. This week’s USILA Coaches Poll ranking is referenced in parentheses in this story.
Our AQs are based on a mixture of current conference standings and head-to-head competition. We also consulted Lacrosse Reference’s RPI (as of April 25, 2024), the NCAA’s Regional Rankings (as of April 21, 2024), and this week’s USILA Coaches Poll to aid with seeding. For example, Baldwin Wallace and John Carroll are both 8-1 in the OAC, but JCU won the head-to-head this year, so JCU occupies the spot for now. Meanwhile, the NAC has three schools with one conference loss (Maine Maritime, SUNY Canton, SUNY Morrisville), so we list all three for now.
Because 70% of the NCAA field comes through AQs, a strong possibility exists for teams ranked in the Top 20 to be left on the sideline come tournament time. Right now, our Last 4 Out are: Middlebury (18), Roanoke (19), Gettysburg (20), and Williams (NR).
That said, any of those four could flip the script by reaching their conference semis or finals. Middlebury was a lock prior to its loss to Williams in the regular season finale on April 24. Still, the Panthers are the 4-seed in the NESCAC tournament and a win over 5-seed Amherst could help their case, particularly given their strong NCAA Regional Ranking.
Roanoke finished third in the ODAC and a trip to the conference title game, meaning an upset of Lynchburg in the semis, could nudge the Maroons into the tournament. Gettysburg is sitting at fourth in the tight Centennial with six overall losses. The Bullets may need to win the conference tourney to play further in May.
Williams improved its resume with a win at Middlebury yesterday, and still has a win at CNU to bolster its argument, but it enters the NESCAC as the 6-seed. The Ephs probably need to beat 3-seed Bowdoin, and maybe win in the semis as well, to get into the final field of 38.
Ohio Wesleyan is a sleeper to win the NCAC outright, and the conference received two bids a year ago when Denison and Kenyon both made the tournament. April 27 is Denison at OWU in the regular season finale with home field advantage for the conference tournament at stake. We have both the Big Red and the Battling Bishops making the tournament based on their strong NCAA Regional Rankings.
We have Illinois Wesleyan and Centre as the last two teams to avoid playing a First Round game, with Hope on the bubble. Hope had a First Round bye last season and fares well in Lacrosse Reference's RPI and NCAA Regional Rankings, but the overall strength of the MIAA is slightly lower than the CCIW or SAA. IWU’s win over Elmhurst last weekend gives it the 1-seed in the CCIW, with a possible rematch in the championship looming large. A spirited debate could exist around these four schools. All four have received USILA votes this season (Centre is the only one to receive votes in the current poll). All are ranked by the NCAA in the top six in their respective region. Centre beat Elmhurst. Elmhurst beat Hope. Hope beat Illinois Wesleyan. Illinois Wesleyan beat Elmhurst.
27 AQs with USILA rankings in parentheses
Atlantic East = Cabrini
Centennial = Swarthmore (6)
CCC = Endicott (17)
CCIW = Illinois Wesleyan
Empire 8 = Saint John Fisher
GNAC = St. Joseph’s (CT)
Heartland = Transylvania
Landmark = Susquehanna/Elizabethtown
Liberty = RPI (4)
Little East = Western Conn/UMass-Boston/Keene State
MAC Comm = York (votes)
MAC Freedom = Stevens (14)
MIAA = Hope
MLC = Lake Forest
NCAC = Denison (votes)/OWU
NESCAC = Tufts (3)
NEWMAC = Babson (11)
North Atlantic = SUNY Canton/Maine Maritime/SUNY Morrisville
NACC = Aurora
OAC = John Carroll
ODAC = Washington & Lee (10)
PAC = Grove City (votes)
SAA = Centre (votes)
Skyline = Farmingdale
SUNYAC = SUNY Cortland
United East = St. Mary’s College of Maryland
USA South = Pfeiffer
1 Pool B
Coastal = Salisbury (1)
10 Pool C
RIT (2)
St. Lawrence (5)
CNU (7)
Dickinson (8)
Union (9)
Wesleyan (12)
Amherst (13)
Bowdoin (15)
Lynchburg (16)
Ohio Wesleyan (NR)
First 4 Out
Middlebury (18)
Roanoke (19)
Gettysburg (20)
Williams (votes)
Next 4 Out
Hamilton (votes)
Hampden-Sydney (NR)
Muhlenberg (votes)
SUNY Geneseo (NR)
NCAA First Round Games
St. Joseph’s (CT) (GNAC) at Keene State/UMass-Boston/Western Conn (Little East)
Maine Maritime/SUNY Canton/SUNY Morrisville (NAC) at Elizabethtown/Susquehanna (Landmark)
Farmingdale (Skyline) at St. Mary’s College of MD (United East)
Transylvania (HCMLC) at Pfeiffer (USA South)
Aurora (NACC) at Lake Forest (MLC)
John Carroll (OAC) at Hope (MIAA)
NCAA Second Round Games
1 Salisbury v Transylvania/Pfeiffer
2 RIT v St. Joseph’s (CT)/Keene State/UMass-Boston/Western Connecticut
3 Tufts v Maine Maritime/SUNY Canton/SUNY Morrisville/Elizabethtown/Susquehanna
3 RPI v Aurora/Lake Forest
5 St. Lawrence v Farmingdale/St. Mary’s College of MD
6 Swarthmore v John Carroll/Hope
7 CNU v Centre
8 Dickinson v Illinois Wesleyan
9 Union v SUNY Cortland
10 Washington & Lee v Ohio Wesleyan
11 Babson v Cabrini
12 Wesleyan v Saint John Fisher
13 Stevens v Grove City
14 Amherst v Denison
15 Bowdoin v York
16 Lynchburg v Endicott
Conferences with Multiple Teams
NESCAC (Amherst, Bowdoin, Tufts, Wesleyan)
Liberty (RIT, RPI, St. Lawrence, Union)
Centennial (Dickinson, Swarthmore)
Coastal (CNU, Salisbury)
NCAC (Denison, OWU)
ODAC (Lynchburg, Washington & Lee)
How close are we? Let the debates begin!
Per the NCAA, 27 automatic qualifying conferences exist. One qualifier will come from Pool B, made up of independent institutions and institutions that are part of a conference that does not receive an AQ. The Coastal Lacrosse Conference meets that criteria for Pool B. Pool C fills out the bracket with 10 at-large invites. This week’s USILA Coaches Poll ranking is referenced in parentheses in this story.
Our AQs are based on a mixture of current conference standings and head-to-head competition. We also consulted Lacrosse Reference’s RPI (as of April 25, 2024), the NCAA’s Regional Rankings (as of April 21, 2024), and this week’s USILA Coaches Poll to aid with seeding. For example, Baldwin Wallace and John Carroll are both 8-1 in the OAC, but JCU won the head-to-head this year, so JCU occupies the spot for now. Meanwhile, the NAC has three schools with one conference loss (Maine Maritime, SUNY Canton, SUNY Morrisville), so we list all three for now.
Because 70% of the NCAA field comes through AQs, a strong possibility exists for teams ranked in the Top 20 to be left on the sideline come tournament time. Right now, our Last 4 Out are: Middlebury (18), Roanoke (19), Gettysburg (20), and Williams (NR).
That said, any of those four could flip the script by reaching their conference semis or finals. Middlebury was a lock prior to its loss to Williams in the regular season finale on April 24. Still, the Panthers are the 4-seed in the NESCAC tournament and a win over 5-seed Amherst could help their case, particularly given their strong NCAA Regional Ranking.
Roanoke finished third in the ODAC and a trip to the conference title game, meaning an upset of Lynchburg in the semis, could nudge the Maroons into the tournament. Gettysburg is sitting at fourth in the tight Centennial with six overall losses. The Bullets may need to win the conference tourney to play further in May.
Williams improved its resume with a win at Middlebury yesterday, and still has a win at CNU to bolster its argument, but it enters the NESCAC as the 6-seed. The Ephs probably need to beat 3-seed Bowdoin, and maybe win in the semis as well, to get into the final field of 38.
Ohio Wesleyan is a sleeper to win the NCAC outright, and the conference received two bids a year ago when Denison and Kenyon both made the tournament. April 27 is Denison at OWU in the regular season finale with home field advantage for the conference tournament at stake. We have both the Big Red and the Battling Bishops making the tournament based on their strong NCAA Regional Rankings.
We have Illinois Wesleyan and Centre as the last two teams to avoid playing a First Round game, with Hope on the bubble. Hope had a First Round bye last season and fares well in Lacrosse Reference's RPI and NCAA Regional Rankings, but the overall strength of the MIAA is slightly lower than the CCIW or SAA. IWU’s win over Elmhurst last weekend gives it the 1-seed in the CCIW, with a possible rematch in the championship looming large. A spirited debate could exist around these four schools. All four have received USILA votes this season (Centre is the only one to receive votes in the current poll). All are ranked by the NCAA in the top six in their respective region. Centre beat Elmhurst. Elmhurst beat Hope. Hope beat Illinois Wesleyan. Illinois Wesleyan beat Elmhurst.
27 AQs with USILA rankings in parentheses
Atlantic East = Cabrini
Centennial = Swarthmore (6)
CCC = Endicott (17)
CCIW = Illinois Wesleyan
Empire 8 = Saint John Fisher
GNAC = St. Joseph’s (CT)
Heartland = Transylvania
Landmark = Susquehanna/Elizabethtown
Liberty = RPI (4)
Little East = Western Conn/UMass-Boston/Keene State
MAC Comm = York (votes)
MAC Freedom = Stevens (14)
MIAA = Hope
MLC = Lake Forest
NCAC = Denison (votes)/OWU
NESCAC = Tufts (3)
NEWMAC = Babson (11)
North Atlantic = SUNY Canton/Maine Maritime/SUNY Morrisville
NACC = Aurora
OAC = John Carroll
ODAC = Washington & Lee (10)
PAC = Grove City (votes)
SAA = Centre (votes)
Skyline = Farmingdale
SUNYAC = SUNY Cortland
United East = St. Mary’s College of Maryland
USA South = Pfeiffer
1 Pool B
Coastal = Salisbury (1)
10 Pool C
RIT (2)
St. Lawrence (5)
CNU (7)
Dickinson (8)
Union (9)
Wesleyan (12)
Amherst (13)
Bowdoin (15)
Lynchburg (16)
Ohio Wesleyan (NR)
First 4 Out
Middlebury (18)
Roanoke (19)
Gettysburg (20)
Williams (votes)
Next 4 Out
Hamilton (votes)
Hampden-Sydney (NR)
Muhlenberg (votes)
SUNY Geneseo (NR)
NCAA First Round Games
St. Joseph’s (CT) (GNAC) at Keene State/UMass-Boston/Western Conn (Little East)
Maine Maritime/SUNY Canton/SUNY Morrisville (NAC) at Elizabethtown/Susquehanna (Landmark)
Farmingdale (Skyline) at St. Mary’s College of MD (United East)
Transylvania (HCMLC) at Pfeiffer (USA South)
Aurora (NACC) at Lake Forest (MLC)
John Carroll (OAC) at Hope (MIAA)
NCAA Second Round Games
1 Salisbury v Transylvania/Pfeiffer
2 RIT v St. Joseph’s (CT)/Keene State/UMass-Boston/Western Connecticut
3 Tufts v Maine Maritime/SUNY Canton/SUNY Morrisville/Elizabethtown/Susquehanna
3 RPI v Aurora/Lake Forest
5 St. Lawrence v Farmingdale/St. Mary’s College of MD
6 Swarthmore v John Carroll/Hope
7 CNU v Centre
8 Dickinson v Illinois Wesleyan
9 Union v SUNY Cortland
10 Washington & Lee v Ohio Wesleyan
11 Babson v Cabrini
12 Wesleyan v Saint John Fisher
13 Stevens v Grove City
14 Amherst v Denison
15 Bowdoin v York
16 Lynchburg v Endicott
Conferences with Multiple Teams
NESCAC (Amherst, Bowdoin, Tufts, Wesleyan)
Liberty (RIT, RPI, St. Lawrence, Union)
Centennial (Dickinson, Swarthmore)
Coastal (CNU, Salisbury)
NCAC (Denison, OWU)
ODAC (Lynchburg, Washington & Lee)
How close are we? Let the debates begin!