• Men’s Championship Final was most-watched in 19 years and up 37%  
• Women’s title game became most-watched on record and up 83%  

ESPN’s coverage of the 2026 Men’s and Women’s College Lacrosse Championship closed out Memorial Day Weekend on a high note, posting double-digit gains in viewership. 

Monday’s NCAA Men’s College Lacrosse Championship final drew 778,000 viewers as the Princeton Tigers captured their seventh national title with a 16-9 victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, making it the most-watched men’s final in 19 years and delivering a 37 percent increase in viewership compared to 2025. The Men’s Tournament was up 31 percent over last year, making it the most watched in 13 years. 

On Sunday, 470,000 viewers tuned in to ESPN as the top-seeded Northwestern Wildcats clinched their ninth NCAA title with a 14-11 victory over the second-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels, marking the most-watched women’s finals on record and an 83 percent increase compared to 2025. Viewership peaked at 657,000 late in the fourth quarter. The entire Women’s Tournament saw a 72 percent increase compared to 2025. 

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