The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) will be represented by Denison and Wooster in the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament, which begins this week.
 
Denison (18-1) earned the league's automatic bid after capturing its fourth-consecutive NCAC Tournament title on May 2. The Big Red secured the tourney title with a 19-7 semifinal victory over John Carroll followed by a 19-10 win against Wooster in the finale. Now making their 27th NCAA Tournament appearance, Denison enters postseason play with a 12-26 all-time record and advanced to the national quarterfinals a season ago.

As a higher seed, Denison received a first-round bye and will host opening weekend action at Kienzle-Hylbert Stadium in Granville, Ohio. The Big Red will face the winner of Carthage (15-3) and Transylvania (10-7) on Sunday, May 10, at 1:00 p.m., following the first-round matchup between the two programs on Saturday, May 9.
 
This will mark Denison's first matchup with Carthage, while the Big Red and Transylvania previously met in the second round of the 2019 NCAA tournament in which Denison collected a 19-6 win. Carthage is the automatic qualifier out of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin; The Firebirds are making their first appearance on the national stage. Transylvania is the automatic qualifier from the Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference; the Pioneers enter NCAA play for the eighth time and hold a 1-7 postseason record.
 
Wooster (16-1) enters the NCAA Tournament after receiving one of 16 at-large selections. The Fighting Scots will open postseason play against Farmingdale State (9-9) on Saturday, May 9, at 12:00 p.m. in York, Pennsylvania. The winner will advance to face host York (15-4) in the second round on Sunday, May 10, at 1:00 p.m.
 
Making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, Wooster is in search of its second all-time postseason victory after earning the program's first NCAA win last season with a 20-9 first-round victory over Hope. Farmingdale State secured the Skyline Conference's automatic bid and will be making its sixth NCAA appearance, holding a 1-4 record, while Saturday's contest marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
 
The winners of second-round action will advance to the regional round, May 16-17, with the semifinals and championship rounds set for May 22-24, at Judson Stadium in Rochester, New York.