As of Feb. 23, 2026, Chapel Hill is the center of the collegiate lacrosse world.

The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are both ranked No. 1 in the latest Inside Lacrosse polls, which were released Monday.

The men’s team had entered the previous week ranked No. 3 in the poll behind No. 1 Syracuse and No. 2 Maryland. The Tar Heels took care of business at Dorrance Field Friday against No. 14 Johns Hopkins, pulling away from the Blue Jays in a 17-9 win. Elsewhere around the country, both Syracuse and Maryland lost, opening the door for 4-0 Carolina to ascend to the top spot.

This is the Tar Heels’ first appearance at No. 1 since March of 2021. They are far from unanimous, though, as six different teams split the 22 total first-place votes. UNC received the most with nine, while No. 2 Notre Dame received two, No. 3 Richmond two, No. 4 Harvard four, No. 5 Cornell five and No. 6 Syracuse one. Also representing the ACC in the poll are No. 8 Duke and No. 14 Virginia.

For a full look at the men’s poll, click here.

The men’s team will return to action Friday when it visits No. 19 Penn in Philadelphia at 5 p.m. The Tar Heels will then visit No. 7 Princeton in New Jersey Sunday at noon.

The women’s team’s perch atop the poll is far more secure. The Tar Heels have held the No. 1 ranking since the beginning of the season and are the unanimous top team in this week’s poll. Carolina is 4-0, having beaten Ohio State and Louisville this past weekend.

Elsewhere in the ACC, Stanford comes in at No. 2, Notre Dame at No. 8, Clemson at No. 9, Boston College at No. 12, Syracuse at No. 15, Virginia at No. 18, Pitt at No. 23 and Duke at No. 24. For a full look at the women’s poll, click here.

The women’s team returns to action Friday when it hosts Florida State at Dorrance Field at 5 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Men’s Lacrosse on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Men's and Women's Lacrosse Find Out NCAA Tournament Destinations
The brackets for the NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse tournaments were released Sunday evening, with UNC guaranteed a berth in each event since both Tar Heel teams won their respective ACC Tournaments. Head coach Joe Breschi and the UNC men’s team (8-7) pulled off a pair of stunning upsets in Durham to reach the big […]
Healthy Competition Motivated UNC's Lacrosse Teams to National Titles
Success breeds success. Within the UNC athletic program, it’s a motto that promotes good-spirited competition between each of the different Tar Heel teams. Nowhere was it more evident than in Philadelphia this past weekend, when the school’s men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each defeated Maryland on back-to-back days to win national championships. Following the women’s […]
ACC Tournament Season In Full Swing
It's the spring ACC Tournament season. And many UNC programs have high hopes on conference title trophies and banners.
Tar Heels Round Out Exciting Regular Season
A busy Tar Heel sports weekend secured a couple exhilarating ACC titles, produced heartbreak on the lacrosse field and saw history made on the Chestnut Hill tennis courts.
Tar Heel Tennis, Lacrosse Blossoming This Spring
Although surrounded by less hype and fanfare than their more famous basketball and football counterparts, UNC’s spring sports teams excel at the highest level year in and year out. 2015 is shaping up to be no exception.
Overshadowed Spring Sports Share Same Lofty Goals
All eyes are generally fixed on the basketball hardwood this time of year in Chapel Hill, but a litany of other top-notch UNC sports programs are gearing up for their own chances at ACC and national glory.
Which Gets Upgrades First, Soccer Or Basketball?
UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham says Fetzer Field is Carolina’s athletic facility most in need of upgrades, but money will likely be the deciding factor when it comes down to which programs see improvement first.
North Carolina Finishes 8th Again In Directors' Cup
UNC’s eighth place finish in the Director’s Cup is the highest finish among ACC schools.
UNC Lacrosse: Men, Women Both Dominate in Home Wins
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up comfortable home wins Saturday, with the top-ranked women defeating Pitt 19-3 and the No. 5 men defeating Brown 19-7. The women were up first Saturday, and they quickly took control with two goals in the opening two minutes. The first half was all Tar Heels, […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men's and Women's Teams Both Ranked No. 1 in Latest Polls
As of Feb. 23, 2026, Chapel Hill is the center of the collegiate lacrosse world. The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are both ranked No. 1 in the latest Inside Lacrosse polls, which were released Monday. 𝗡𝗼. 𝟭 𝗨!@UNCMensLacrosse joins @uncwlax at the top spot in the Week 3️⃣ @kanefootwear Media Polls. pic.twitter.com/ckKe35KDZT — […]
›