Colorado University Athletics
Buffs To Host Jacksonville In First Round Of The NCAA Tournament
May 03, 2026 | Lacrosse
This will be the first time ever that Colorado has hosted an NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament game.
BOULDER – Ann Elliott Whidden's Colorado Buffaloes were awarded a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday and will host their first-round game Friday at 4 p.m. (MT) against the
Jacksonville Dolphins at Prentup Field in Boulder. In what has become a season of historic firsts for CU, this will be the first time ever that Colorado has hosted an NCAA women's lacrosse tournament game. Â
It will be a rematch for the Buffs and Dolphins, who met in Jacksonville just under a month ago on April 6, with Colorado winning 10-9 in overtime. The Buffaloes are 2-1 all-time against the Dolphins, having won their last two meetings. In 2018, Colorado recorded its first NCAA tournament win in program history against Jacksonville in a 23-18 first-round shootout played in Gainesville, Fla. Â
The winner will advance to a matchup between the victor of Florida and Denver, who will also be playing at Prentup Field on Friday, beginning at 7 p.m. Both first-round games will be aired on ESPN+.
"It feels so great for this program, not just this team, but my past few teams that have worked really hard, and we've just missed it by one thing," Whidden said. "I feel like, since 2021, every year, we're one thing away from getting there, which has been frustrating in many ways and deflating as the coach of this program. So, to be able to do this year, find a way to kind of avoid those things and get it done is huge."
The NCAA berth is the fourth in CU history, and the first since 2019. The Buffs made the NCAA Tournament three straight years from 2017-19. In those appearances, Colorado won the first round in 2018 and 2019, holding a 2-3 overall record.
This is the highest seed the Buffs have been in the NCAA Tournament in program history.
CU takes a 14-3 record into the tournament, coming in with a seven-game winning streak and the program's first Big 12 Tournament Championship after beating No. 4-ranked Florida on Saturday.
The Buffs were led to the championship by tournament Most Outstanding Player Maddie Shoup. The senior finished with eight goals, three ground balls, two caused turnovers, and one assist across two games.
For the first time, the Buffs watched knowing they would be in the big dance, and the team eagerly awaited finding out their matchup at a watch party at Boulder Social, which erupted in cheers when the Buffaloes heard their name called.Â
"To win down in Gainesville and come away with the Big 12 Championship and know we were going to be in the NCAA Tournament is a great feeling for this program," Whidden commented.
CU and Florida are the only two Big 12 teams to earn a bid in the 29-team field.
"We did already play Jacksonville this season, but I think we're really looking forward to that battle," Shoup said. "We are all excited, and I think we're ready to compete and get far in this tournament."
Tickets for the Buffs' first-round game will go on sale at 10 a.m. MT on Monday, May 4, and are available exclusively at CUBuffs.com. Â
For more information on Colorado Lacrosse, please visit cubuffs.com/wlax. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffswlax on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
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Jacksonville Dolphins at Prentup Field in Boulder. In what has become a season of historic firsts for CU, this will be the first time ever that Colorado has hosted an NCAA women's lacrosse tournament game. Â
It will be a rematch for the Buffs and Dolphins, who met in Jacksonville just under a month ago on April 6, with Colorado winning 10-9 in overtime. The Buffaloes are 2-1 all-time against the Dolphins, having won their last two meetings. In 2018, Colorado recorded its first NCAA tournament win in program history against Jacksonville in a 23-18 first-round shootout played in Gainesville, Fla. Â
The winner will advance to a matchup between the victor of Florida and Denver, who will also be playing at Prentup Field on Friday, beginning at 7 p.m. Both first-round games will be aired on ESPN+.
"It feels so great for this program, not just this team, but my past few teams that have worked really hard, and we've just missed it by one thing," Whidden said. "I feel like, since 2021, every year, we're one thing away from getting there, which has been frustrating in many ways and deflating as the coach of this program. So, to be able to do this year, find a way to kind of avoid those things and get it done is huge."
The NCAA berth is the fourth in CU history, and the first since 2019. The Buffs made the NCAA Tournament three straight years from 2017-19. In those appearances, Colorado won the first round in 2018 and 2019, holding a 2-3 overall record.
This is the highest seed the Buffs have been in the NCAA Tournament in program history.
CU takes a 14-3 record into the tournament, coming in with a seven-game winning streak and the program's first Big 12 Tournament Championship after beating No. 4-ranked Florida on Saturday.
The Buffs were led to the championship by tournament Most Outstanding Player Maddie Shoup. The senior finished with eight goals, three ground balls, two caused turnovers, and one assist across two games.
For the first time, the Buffs watched knowing they would be in the big dance, and the team eagerly awaited finding out their matchup at a watch party at Boulder Social, which erupted in cheers when the Buffaloes heard their name called.Â
"To win down in Gainesville and come away with the Big 12 Championship and know we were going to be in the NCAA Tournament is a great feeling for this program," Whidden commented.
CU and Florida are the only two Big 12 teams to earn a bid in the 29-team field.
"We did already play Jacksonville this season, but I think we're really looking forward to that battle," Shoup said. "We are all excited, and I think we're ready to compete and get far in this tournament."
Tickets for the Buffs' first-round game will go on sale at 10 a.m. MT on Monday, May 4, and are available exclusively at CUBuffs.com. Â
For more information on Colorado Lacrosse, please visit cubuffs.com/wlax. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffswlax on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook.
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Players Mentioned
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