Is Sunday's game the start of a run to a national championship?
The Syracuse men's lacrosse team will begin play in the NCAA Tournament when it hosts Yale on Sunday night inside the JMA Wireless Dome.
Coach Gary Gait and his team are attempting to end the longest drought in the modern era of the program without winning a national title. The Orange have not claimed the title since 2009. The 16-year gap more than triples the previous record of five, which happened twice since 1983, when Syracuse won the first of its 11 championships.
As a student, Gait was one of the most decorated players in the history of Syracuse lacrosse. A four-time All-American, Gait helped Syracuse to three consecutive national championships, beginning in 1998.
Following a professional career that spanned three decades, Gait returned to Syracuse to coach the women's lacrosse team in 2007. Following the end of John Desko's career as coach of the men's team in 2021, Gait took over the program from his former coach.
Syracuse head coach Gary Gait (center) reacts to a call in the second half during the NCAA Lacrosse Division I Women's Championship against Boston College at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md., on May 30, 2021. Boston College won 16-10. Mitchell Layton-Imagn ImagesRecent program history
In 2025, Gait helped lead the Syracuse men to the Final Four, the program's first since 2013. The 12-year gap between Final Four appearances was the longest in program history. Could Gait make it consecutive seasons ending droughts in Central New York?
If the Orange (11-5, 2-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), the No. 6 seed in the tournament, want to add another national championship to their storied legacy, they will have to get by Yale in the first round.
The Bulldogs (9-5, 4-2 Ivy League) are playing in their third NCAA Tournament in the past five seasons. The Bulldogs have reached the Final Four twice since 2017. In 2019, Yale fell short of completing back-to-back national championships after winning for the first time in 2018.
Faceoff is set for Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
Here's the information you need to know:
How does the tournament work?
The 2026 NCAA Tournament features a field of 18 schools competing in a single-elimination tournament. Ten conference champions qualified automatically, with the other eight schools selected by a committee. Four teams played in the opening round to determine which would advance to face the top two teams in the official first round.
Princeton (13-2, 5-1 Ivy) and Notre Dame (10-2, 3-1 ACC) are the top two seeds.
The first round consists of eight games conducted at campus sites. The winning team from each game will advance to the quarterfinal round, which are being held on the Delaware campus in Newark, Del., and at Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y.
The semifinals will be played May 23 and 25 at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.
Early tournament results
In the opening-round games earlier this week, Marist defeated Stony Brook 10-6, and Jacksonville beat Robert Morris 13-7.
Princeton will meet Marist in the first round in Princeton, N.J., and Notre Dame will play Jacksonville in South Bend, Ind. Both games are scheduled for Sunday.
In first-round action early Saturday, No. 3 North Carolina routed Albany 24-6.
The winner of the game between Syracuse and Yale will meet North Carolina in Hempstead on May 16.
How to watch/listen to Syracuse vs. Yale
ESPNU will have the coverage at 5 p.m. ET. On the audio side, fans can listen on TK99/105 (99.5/100.5 FM) in Syracuse, through Cuse.com, The Varsity App, and the TuneIn app.
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