CU Buffs Women's Lacrosse 2026: A Historic Season
The CU Boulder women's lacrosse program just finished the best season in its short history — and for Boulder County lacrosse fans, it was something worth watching closely. Founded in 2014, the Buffaloes are only 12 years old as a program. In 2026, they played like a team that has been doing this for decades.
A Season to Remember
The Buffs finished the 2026 regular season 16-4, tying the school record for most wins in a season. At home on Folsom Field, they were nearly untouchable — going 9-0 in Boulder. That record earned them a top standing in the Big 12 and set the stage for a postseason run that the program had never managed before.
USA Lacrosse covered the Buffs' postseason journey closely, and for good reason — Colorado put two programs deep into the national bracket in the same year.
The Big 12 Tournament Championship
CU entered the Big 12 Conference tournament as one of the favorites. They made good on it. In the championship game, the Buffs beat Florida 8-6 to win the program's first-ever Big 12 Tournament title.
It is hard to overstate what that means for a 12-year-old program. Conference tournament championships go to established programs — schools with decades of recruiting networks, coaching continuity, and postseason experience. CU earned one anyway.
The NCAA Tournament Run
The Big 12 title punched CU's ticket to the NCAA Tournament — and for the first time, the Buffs hosted a first-round game in Boulder. That home game was itself a program milestone.
The first-round opponent was the Jacksonville Dolphins. CU trailed by two goals at some point in the game, dug back, and won 10-9. A comeback in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, at home, in front of a Boulder crowd — that is the kind of game a program builds its identity around.
Round two brought an all-Colorado matchup: the Buffs against the Denver Pioneers. CU won that one 11-9, sending both Boulder and the broader Colorado lacrosse community into a quarterfinal that no Colorado team had reached before.
The Quarterfinal Moment
The NCAA Quarterfinal put CU against #1-ranked Northwestern — the top program in the country. The Buffs pushed them to double overtime.
With four seconds left in regulation, CU's Maddie Shoup scored to tie the game. Four seconds. The Buffs forced overtime, then a second overtime, before Northwestern finally won 13-12.
A one-goal loss to the nation's top team, in double overtime, in the quarterfinals — that is not a disappointment. That is proof the program belongs at that level.
What This Season Means for Boulder Lacrosse
CU has made the NCAA Tournament before — in 2017, 2018, and 2019 — but never went this far. The 2026 season set a new ceiling: conference champion, home tournament host, quarterfinal appearance, 16 wins.
For players and parents in Boulder County who are thinking about the college path in lacrosse, CU is worth paying attention to. The program is young, competitive, and playing in a major conference. It is also right here — an hour up the road from most of Boulder County.
If you want to keep up with the Buffs, the full schedule and roster are at cubuffs.com.
For more Colorado lacrosse to follow, the Colorado Mammoth play NLL professional box lacrosse at Ball Arena all winter — another great way to stay connected to the sport year-round in Boulder County.