Cumberlands, Reinhardt Advance to NAIA National Championship

(Story provided by NAIA Athletic Communications)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - [Selection Show] The 2026 NAIA Women's Lacrosse National Championship field is set. Eight teams are beginning to pack their gear for the sixth annual women's lacrosse championship to be played in Decatur, Ala., starting on Monday, May 11, with the quarterfinals. Four games will be played on May 11, starting at 10 a.m. CT at Jack Allen Sports Complex. The women's lacrosse tournament will continue on Wednesday, May 13, with the semifinals at 4 and 7 p.m. CT, then on Friday, May 15, the biggest game of the season, the national championship game at 5 p.m. CT. Be sure to grab your tickets before you arrive at the venue here for quicker entry into the stands to watch your favorite teams and student-athletes.

Let's dive into the eight teams arriving in Decatur next weekend.

The overall record of the 2026 NAIA Women's Lacrosse National Championship field is 97-19, or a winning percentage of 83.6. Two teams will make an appearance for the first time, with Ave Maria (Fla.) earning an at-large bid and Marian (Ind.) claiming an automatic bid after winning the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament title over the weekend. The remaining six teams in this year's field, well, they have seen their name on the championship bracket every year since the very first national championship tournament.

The Sun Conference leads the way, qualifying three teams with Ave, Keiser (Fla.), and SCAD Savannah (Ga.). The Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference and Appalachian Athletic Conference follow close behind, with two teams in this year's field: Marian and Lawrence Tech (Mich.), and Cumberlands (Ky.) and Reinhardt (Ga.), respectively.

Four teams have claimed the coveted Red Banner in the past: Reinhardt, Lawrence Tech, and Keiser, all having a claim to one national title, while Benedictine is the only team to have claimed a national title twice.

The Benedictine Ravens and Cumberlands Patriots claimed the top two seeds in this year's tournament. At the same time, the SCAD Savannah Bees and  Keiser Seahawks rounded out the top half of the seeds at No. 3 and No. 4. Games will get underway starting on Monday, May 11, at 10 a.m. CT with No. 1 Benedictine and No. 8 Lawrence Tech. Check out the bracket to see when your favorite team is set to play, along with links to tune in and watch the action live on the Urban Edge Network.