Penn State vs. Maryland, April 1978
Women's lacrosse has been a part of collegiate sports scene since the 1920s. Some of America's most elite colleges and universities can claim excellence in the sport. While many colleges have fielded teams since the 1920s, the first national tournament was played only in 1978. Here is an exhaustive list of women's collegiate champions.
USWLA Champions (1978-1980)[]
In 1978-1980 the women's collegiate lacrosse championship tournament was administered by the United States Women's Lacrosse Association (USWLA).
| Year | USWLA Champions |
|---|---|
| 1978 | Penn State |
| 1979 | Cal State Univ, Long Beach |
| 1980 | Penn State |
AIAW Champions (1981-1982)[]
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women’s athletics and to administer national championships. During its existence, the AIAW and its predecessor, the Division for Girls' and Women's Sports (DGWS), recognized via these championships the teams and individuals who excelled at the highest level of women's collegiate competition.
After the 1981-82 academic year, the AIAW discontinued sponsorship of national championships and later was legally dissolved. At this time, the NCAA assumed sole sanctioning authority of its member schools' women's sports programs. Compilations of collegiate records by the NCAA, continuing into 2006, have ignored or segregated the contributions of AIAW athletes.
Division I[]
| Year | AIAW Champions |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Maryland |
| 1982 | Temple |
Division II[]
| Year | AIAW Champions |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Delaware |
| 1982 | Delaware |
Division III[]
| Year | AIAW Champions |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Trenton State (now College of New Jersey) |
| 1982 | Millersville State |
NCAA Champions (1982 - )[]
Division I[]
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Massachusetts | 9-6 | Trenton State |
| 1983 | Delaware | 10-7 | Temple |
| 1984 | Temple | 6-4 | Maryland |
| 1985 | New Hampshire | 6-5 | Maryland |
| 1986 | Maryland | 11-10 | Penn State |
| 1987 | Penn State | 7-6 | Temple |
| 1988 | Temple | 15-7 | Penn State |
| 1989 | Penn State | 7-6 | Harvard |
| 1990 | Harvard | 8-7 | Maryland |
| 1991 | Virginia | 8-6 | Maryland |
| 1992 | Maryland | 11-10 (OT) | Harvard |
| 1993 | Virginia | 8-6 (OT) | Princeton |
| 1994 | Princeton | 10-7 | Maryland |
| 1995 | Maryland | 13-5 | Princeton |
| 1996 | Maryland | 10-5 | Virginia |
| 1997 | Maryland | 8-7 | Loyola (MD) |
| 1998 | Maryland | 11-5 | Virginia |
| 1999 | Maryland | 16-6 | Virginia |
| 2000 | Maryland | 16-8 | Princeton |
| 2001 | Maryland | 14-13 (OT) | Georgetown |
| 2002 | Princeton | 12-7 | Georgetown |
| 2003 | Princeton | 8-7 | Virginia |
| 2004 | Virginia | 10-4 | Princeton |
| 2005 | Northwestern | 13-10 | Virginia |
| 2006 | Northwestern | 7-4 | Dartmouth |
| 2007 | Northwestern | 15-13 | Virginia |
| 2008 | Northwestern | 10-6 | Pennsylvania |
| 2009 | Northwestern | 21-7 | North Carolina |
Division II[]
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | C.W. Post | 13-9 | West Chester |
| 2002 | West Chester | 11-6 | Stonehill |
| 2003 | Stonehill | 9-8 | Longwood |
| 2004 | Adelphi | 12-11 | West Chester |
| 2005 | Stonehill | 13-10 | West Chester |
| 2006 | Adelphi | 16-8 | West Chester |
| 2007 | C.W. Post | 15-7 | West Chester |
| 2008 | West Chester | 13-12 | C.W. Post |
| 2009 | Adelphi | 16-4 | Lock Haven |
Division III[]
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Trenton State | 7-4 | Ursinus |
| 1986 | Ursinus | 12-10 | Trenton State |
| 1987 | Trenton State | 8-7 (OT) | Ursinus |
| 1988 | Trenton State | 14-11 | William Smith |
| 1989 | Ursinus | 8-6 | Trenton State |
| 1990 | Ursinus | 7-6 | St. Lawrence |
| 1991 | Trenton State | 7-6 | Ursinus |
| 1992 | Trenton State* | 5-3 | William Smith |
| 1993 | Trenton State | 10-9 | William Smith |
| 1994 | Trenton State | 29-11 | William Smith |
| 1995 | Trenton State | 14-13 | William Smith |
| 1996 | College of New Jersey | 15-8 | Middlebury |
| 1997 | Middlebury | 14-9 | College of New Jersey |
| 1998 | College of New Jersey | 12-11 (OT) | Williams |
| 1999 | Middlebury | 10-9 | Amherst |
| 2000 | College of New Jersey | 14-8 | Williams |
| 2001 | Middlebury | 11-10 | Amherst |
| 2002 | Middlebury | 12-6 | College of New Jersey |
| 2003 | Amherst | 11-9 | Middlebury |
| 2004 | Middlebury | 13-11 (OT) | College of New Jersey |
| 2005 | College of New Jersey | 9-7 | Salisbury |
| 2006 | College of New Jersey | 10-4 | Gettysburg |
| 2007 | Franklin & Marshall | 11-8 | Salisbury |
| 2008 | Hamilton | 13-6 | Franklin & Marshall |
| 2009 | Franklin & Marshall | 11-10 | Salisbury |
- The NCAA stripped Trenton State of its 1992 title due to rule violations.