The NCAA tournament — especially its final three rounds — was riveting, exciting, and at times downright delirious.
It was also completed in its entirety, which was a welcome change from 2020.
What it didn’t do was completely overhaul the perception of many teams, which probably isn’t a surprise in an event that saw the top six seeds escape the first round and the top four seeds reach Memorial Day Weekend.
For the sake of everyone in the lacrosse world and beyond, hopefully Virginia is not only the first but also the last team to win back-to-back tournaments with a one-year hiatus in the middle.
The Cavaliers rightfully rise to No. 1 in the final rankings, and their four-spot rise is the largest movement of anyone in the last top 20 of the season.
Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings
Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women
Final 2021 |
W/L |
Prev |
Next |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 14-4 | 5 | Season complete |
| 2 | Maryland | 15-1 | 1 | Season complete |
| 3 | North Carolina | 13-3 | 2 | Season complete |
| 4 | Duke | 14-3 | 3 | Season complete |
| 5 | Notre Dame | 8-4 | 4 | Season complete |
| 6 | Rutgers | 9-4 | 9 | Season complete |
| 7 | Georgetown | 13-3 | 6 | Season complete |
| 8 | Loyola | 10-6 | 11 | Season complete |
| 9 | Denver | 12-5 | 7 | Season complete |
| 10 | Drexel | 10-3 | 10 | Season complete |
| 11 | Lehigh | 10-2 | 8 | Season complete |
| 12 | Army | 7-4 | 12 | Season complete |
| 13 | Villanova | 7-5 | 14 | Season complete |
| 14 | Delaware | 10-3 | 15 | Season complete |
| 15 | Syracuse | 7-6 | 13 | Season complete |
| 16 | Bryant | 9-4 | 17 | Season complete |
| 17 | Navy | 6-3 | 16 | Season complete |
| 18 | Vermont | 9-5 | 18 | Season complete |
| 19 | UMBC | 8-3 | 19 | Season complete |
| 20 | High Point | 8-6 | 20 | Season complete |