NCAA lacrosse tournament selection show 2025: Time, TV channel for men's and women's bracket reveal

It's the time of year for postseason play, and college lacrosse is no exception. 

The NCAA men's and women's lacrosse tournament selection shows will take place on Sunday evening, kickstarting the road to a national championship. 

On the women's side, the three top-ranked teams — No. 1 North Carolina, No. 2 Boston College, and No. 3 Northwestern — have each won a national title in the past three years. The Eagles will look to repeat, having won last year's NCAA Tournament via a narrow 14-13 victory over the Wildcats. 

But it's the Tar Heels who enter the tournament on the most domineering note, touting a perfect 18-0 record heading into postseason play. 

In the men's bracket, Notre Dame is aiming for a three-peat, a feat not accomplished since Princeton from 1996-98. But the sixth-ranked Fighting Irish will face an uphill climb to the mountaintop, with No. 1 Maryland and second-ranked Princeton among the bevy of championship hopefuls standing in the way. 

We'll get our first look at the brackets on Sunday evening. The Sporting News has everything that you need to know about watching the respective selection shows, including the start time for each event. 

What time is the NCAA lacrosse tournament selection show? 

• Date: Sunday, May 4
• Time: 9 p.m. ET (women's) | 9:30 p.m. ET (men's)

The 2025 NCAA women's lacrosse tournament selection show begins at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 4. It will be immediately followed by the NCAA men's lacrosse tournament selection show, which is slated for 9:30 p.m. ET. 

How to watch the NCAA lacrosse selection show: TV channel, live stream

• TV channel: ESPNU
• Live stream: Fubo

The selection shows for the men's and women's lacrosse tournaments will air live on ESPNU. 

Viewers can also stream the action with Fubo, which offers a free trial, so you can try before you buy. 

Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

NCAA lacrosse tournament selection format

The NCAA women's lacrosse tournament consists of 29 teams, with 15 automatic bids and 14 at-large selections. Automatic bids are earned by teams that won their respective conference.

The top three teams earn first-round byes, with the remaining 26 teams competing in the first round to kickstart the 2025 tournament. 

The men's tournament field consists of just 18 teams, with eight at-large spots up for grabs. Ten teams are automatic qualifiers, after winning their respective conference tournaments. 

Four teams compete in an Opening Round matchup for the right to advance to the First Round, when the bracket will then function like a normal, single-elimination tournament. 

NCAA lacrosse tournament schedule 2025

Women's NCAA Tournament 

Men's NCAA Tournament 

NCAA lacrosse tournament history

Here are the winners from the last 10 NCAA lacrosse tournaments, for both the men's and the women's.