The year is 2038. The NCAA was investigated in 2025 by the FBI for misappropriation of funds. Being a "billion dollar entity", money was "disappearing" all over the place. The NCAA was taking money from minor sports while still making hundreds of millions of dollars per year from football and basketball. Congress even got involved at one point (not unlike the fall of the BCS in football).

In doing so, the NCAA changed its entire business model. Under this new setup, the NCAA begins to funnel their excess in cash from football and basketball into other sports and both men's and women's lacrosse thrive because of it. Sure it cost the major football programs some more money, but it opens funding for other sports (real sports, not this ESport BS.) The Pac-12 and the Big 12 are full lacrosse conferences. Not every school is in there, UCLA and Oklahoma still can't get programs off the ground, but there are some affiliate schools like CSU and BYU in the Big 12 for lacrosse and Gonzaga and Denver are in the Pac-12.

The tournament has truly become May Madness. 40 teams from all sorts of schools ranging from St. Bonaventure to the University of Texas are involved. 2 play-in games per quarter of the bracket. The top 4 seeds in the country are Cuse, Hopkins, Notre Dame (no surprise) and out of left field Utah, who's undefeated under long time assistant, now head coach Marcus Holman. They host the quarterfinals in M&T Bank Stadium, MetLife Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, and Mile High Stadium. Jerry's world in Dallas has the Final Four. Through the quarterfinals, teams are playing on 4 days rest because "We must keep the tradition of the Finals being played on Memorial Day", lacrosse czar Dave Pietramala was quoted as saying when he formatted the playoff system.

This allows for MAJOR upsets as St. Bonaventure wins out the 'Cuse super-regional and heads to the final four as a 9 seed and #6 Colorado State wins in double overtime to beat Utah at Mile High. Hopkins' freshman Attackman Shackleford Stanwick Jr. squeaks out a last second goal as time expires to beat #2 Texas at M&T Bank Stadium and Notre Dame falls shy of its 4th national title by losing to #3 Navy in the second round. Navy advances to Dallas by beating #2 UNC.

Which sets up a classic matchup between Navy and Hopkins on one side of the semifinals and two teams that took a gamble 20 year prior in the Utes and the Bonnies. Navy and St. Bonaventure advance, setting up "America's Cinderella Story" vs. "America's Lacrosse Team."

I will let the crowd decide the outcome in the comments below.