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Who are the lineal NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse champions?

We’ve crowned NCAA champs since 1971, but who have been the team that beat the team?

Blocking a Shot in Lacrosse Photo by © Paul A. Souders/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

If you come to this site, you’re more than likely a lacrosse fan. You want to read about news and opinions primary in the college lacrosse realm.

But 99% of lacrosse fans are also fans of other sports. The majority of them are also fans of football, basketball, hockey, and baseball.

But a smaller number of them are fans of boxing. Which is where this post is based on.

Saturday night in Las Vegas, Tyson Fury will defend his lineal heavyweight championship of the world against upstart Swede Otto Wallin on ESPN+ (he won the fight via unanimous decision). Unlike sanctioning bodies such as the WBA and the WBC that award belts to their champions and have the right to strip them for breaching regulations or contracts, a lineal champion is simply a title given to “the man that beat the man.”

The lineal heavyweight championship dates back to John L. Sullivan beating Dominick McCaffrey in August of 1885 when the Queensberry Rules (the modern rules of boxing) were instituted. Since then, there have been 43 lineal champions that include Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and now Fury.

So what is the lineage of the college lacrosse national championship? We’ll make our starting point in 1971 with the first NCAA national championship which saw the Cornell Big Red defeat the Maryland Terrapins. Since then, the lineal title has changed 179 times with reigns as short as two days and as long as over a year. Check out the lineage.

Lineal NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Champions

Champion Date They Won Opponent Other Notes Title Reign # Date They Lost Dethroned By Other Notes
Champion Date They Won Opponent Other Notes Title Reign # Date They Lost Dethroned By Other Notes
Cornell 6/5/1971 Maryland NCAA Championship 1 4/1/1972 Navy
Navy 4/1/1972 Cornell 1 4/29/1972 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 4/29/1972 Navy 1 5/13/1972 Maryland
Maryland 5/13/1972 Johns Hopkins 1 5/27/1972 Johns Hopkins NCAA Semifinal
Johns Hopkins 5/27/1972 Maryland NCAA Semifinal 2 6/3/1972 Virginia NCAA Championship
Virginia 6/3/1972 Johns Hopkins NCAA Championship 1 4/14/1973 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 4/14/1973 Virginia 3 5/12/1973 Maryland
Maryland 5/12/1973 Johns Hopkins Would eventually win NCAA Championship 2 5/11/1974 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 5/11/1974 Maryland Would eventually win NCAA Championship 4 5/17/1975 Maryland
Maryland 5/17/1975 Johns Hopkins Would eventually win NCAA Championship 3 5/29/1976 Cornell NCAA Championship
Cornell 5/29/1976 Maryland NCAA Championship, would win 1977 NCAA Championship 2 5/27/1978 Johns Hopkins NCAA Championship
Johns Hopkins 5/27/1978 Cornell NCAA Championship, would win 1979 NCAA Championship 5 4/5/1980 Virginia
Virginia 4/5/1980 Johns Hopkins 2 5/31/1980 Johns Hopkins NCAA Championship
Johns Hopkins 5/31/1980 Virginia NCAA Championship 6 5/30/1981 North Carolina NCAA Championship
North Carolina 5/30/1981 Johns Hopkins NCAA Championship, would win 1982 NCAA Championship 1 3/12/1983 Hobart Division III at the time
Hobart 3/12/1983 North Carolina Division III at the time 1 4/2/1983 UMass
UMass 4/2/1983 Hobart 1 4/6/1983 Cornell
Cornell 4/6/1983 UMass 3 4/27/1983 Syracuse
Syracuse 4/27/1983 Cornell Would eventually win NCAA Championship 1 5/26/1984 Johns Hopkins NCAA Championship
Johns Hopkins 5/26/1984 Syracuse NCAA Championship 7 4/6/1985 North Carolina
North Carolina 4/6/1985 Johns Hopkins 2 5/19/1985 Syracuse NCAA Semifinal
Syracuse 5/19/1985 North Carolina NCAA Semifinal 2 5/25/1985 Johns Hopkins NCAA Championship
Johns Hopkins 5/25/1985 Syracuse NCAA Championship 8 3/8/1986 Syracuse
Syracuse 3/8/1986 Johns Hopkins 3 3/12/1986 North Carolina
North Carolina 3/12/1986 Syracuse 3 3/29/1986 Maryland
Maryland 3/29/1986 North Carolina 4 4/6/1986 Virginia
Virginia 4/6/1986 Maryland 3 5/26/1986 North Carolina NCAA Championship
North Carolina 5/26/1986 Virginia NCAA Championship 4 3/28/1987 Maryland
Maryland 3/28/1987 North Carolina 5 5/23/1987 Johns Hopkins NCAA Semifinal
Johns Hopkins 5/23/1987 Maryland NCAA Semifinal, would eventually win NCAA Championship 9 3/5/1988 Syracuse
Syracuse 3/5/1988 Johns Hopkins Would eventually win NCAA Championship 4 3/4/1989 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/4/1989 Syracuse 10 5/6/1989 Towson State
Towson State 5/6/1989 Johns Hopkins 1 5/17/1989 North Carolina NCAA First Round
North Carolina 5/17/1989 Towson State NCAA First Round 5 5/27/1989 Johns Hopkins NCAA Semifinal
Johns Hopkins 5/27/1989 North Carolina NCAA Semifinal 11 5/29/1989 Syracuse NCAA Championship
Syracuse 5/29/1989 Johns Hopkins NCAA Championship, would win 1990 NCAA Championship 5 3/9/1991 North Carolina
North Carolina 3/9/1991 Syracuse Would eventually win NCAA Championship 6 3/7/1992 Syracuse
Syracuse 3/7/1992 North Carolina 6 3/21/1992 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/21/1992 Syracuse 12 3/28/1992 Virginia
Virginia 3/28/1992 Johns Hopkins 4 4/4/1992 Maryland
Maryland 4/4/1992 Virginia 6 4/11/1992 Navy
Navy 4/11/1992 Maryland 2 4/25/1992 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 4/25/1992 Navy 13 5/2/1992 Towson State
Towson State 5/2/1992 Johns Hopkins 2 5/16/1992 Johns Hopkins NCAA Quarterfinal
Johns Hopkins 5/16/1992 Towson State NCAA Quarterfinal 14 5/23/1992 Syracuse NCAA Semifinal
Syracuse 5/23/1992 Johns Hopkins NCAA Semifinal 7 5/25/1992 Princeton NCAA Championship
Princeton 5/25/1992 Syracuse NCAA Championship 1 3/20/1993 North Carolina
North Carolina 3/20/1993 Princeton 7 4/10/1993 Virginia
Virginia 4/10/1993 North Carolina 5 4/17/1993 Hofstra
Hofstra 4/17/1993 Virginia 1 4/28/1993 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 4/28/1993 Hofstra 15 5/7/1993 Syracuse
Syracuse 5/7/1993 Johns Hopkins Would eventually win NCAA Championship 8 3/19/1994 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/19/1994 Syracuse 16 3/26/1994 Virginia
Virginia 3/26/1994 Johns Hopkins 6 4/16/1994 Duke
Duke 4/16/1994 Virginia 1 4/22/1994 Virginia
Virginia 4/22/1994 Duke 7 4/24/1994 North Carolina
North Carolina 4/24/1994 Virginia 8 5/21/1994 Virginia NCAA Quarterfinal
Virginia 5/21/1994 North Carolina NCAA Quarterfinal 8 5/30/1994 Princeton NCAA Championship
Princeton 5/30/1994 Virginia NCAA Championship 2 3/4/1995 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/4/1995 Princeton 17 5/27/1995 Maryland NCAA Semifinal
Maryland 5/27/1995 Johns Hopkins NCAA Semifinal 7 5/29/1995 Syracuse NCAA Championship
Syracuse 5/29/1995 Maryland NCAA Championship 9 3/2/1996 Virginia
Virginia 3/2/1996 Syracuse 9 3/30/1996 Maryland
Maryland 3/30/1996 Virginia 8 4/19/1996 Virginia
Virginia 4/19/1996 Maryland 10 4/21/1996 North Carolina
North Carolina 4/21/1996 Virginia 9 5/51996 Hofstra
Hofstra 5/51996 North Carolina 2 5/11/1996 Harvard NCAA First Round
Harvard 5/11/1996 Hofstra NCAA First Round 1 5/18/1996 Virginia NCAA Quarterfinal
Virginia 5/18/1996 Harvard NCAA Quarterfinal 11 5/27/1996 Princeton NCAA Championship
Princeton 5/27/1996 Virginia NCAA Championship, would win 1997 NCAA Championship 3 3/7/1998 Virginia
Virginia 3/7/1998 Princeton 12 3/21/1998 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/21/1998 Virginia 18 5/2/1998 Loyola
Loyola 5/2/1998 Johns Hopkins 1 5/23/1998 Maryland NCAA Semifinal
Maryland 5/23/1998 Loyola NCAA Semifinal 9 5/25/1998 Princeton NCAA Championship
Princeton 5/25/1998 Maryland NCAA Championship 4 3/6/1999 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/6/1999 Princeton 19 3/12/1999 Loyola
Loyola 3/12/1999 Johns Hopkins 2 5/22/1999 Syracuse NCAA Quarterfinal
Syracuse 5/22/1999 Loyola NCAA Quarterfinal 10 5/31/1999 Virginia NCAA Championship
Virginia 5/31/1999 Syracuse NCAA Championship 13 3/4/2000 Syracuse
Syracuse 3/4/2000 Virginia 11 4/11/2000 Cornell
Cornell 4/11/2000 Syracuse 4 4/18/2000 Hobart
Hobart 4/18/2000 Cornell 2 4/29/2000 Loyola
Loyola 4/29/2000 Hobart 3 5/6/2000 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 5/6/2000 Loyola 20 5/27/2000 Syracuse NCAA Semifinal
Syracuse 5/27/2000 Johns Hopkins NCAA Semifinal, would eventually win NCAA Championship 12 3/17/2001 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/17/2001 Syracuse 21 3/24/2001 Virginia
Virginia 3/24/2001 Johns Hopkins 14 4/7/2001 North Carolina
North Carolina 4/7/2001 Virginia 10 4/14/2001 UMBC
UMBC 4/14/2001 North Carolina 1 4/18/2001 Towson
Towson 4/18/2001 UMBC 3 4/28/2001 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 4/28/2001 Towson 22 5/20/2001 Notre Dame NCAA Quarterfinal
Notre Dame 5/20/2001 Johns Hopkins NCAA Quarterfinal 1 5/26/2001 Syracuse NCAA Semifinal
Syracuse 5/26/2001 Notre Dame NCAA Semifinal 13 5/28/2001 Princeton NCAA Championship
Princeton 5/28/2001 Syracuse NCAA Championship 5 3/2/2002 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/2/2002 Princeton 23 3/23/2002 Virginia
Virginia 3/23/2002 Johns Hopkins 15 4/21/2002 Duke
Duke 4/21/2002 Virginia 2 4/26/2002 Hofstra
Hofstra 4/26/2002 Duke Did not make NCAA Tournament 3 3/1/2003 Loyola
Loyola 3/1/2003 Hofstra 4 3/8/2003 Duke
Duke 3/8/2003 Loyola 3 3/19/2003 North Carolina
North Carolina 3/19/2003 Duke 11 3/29/2003 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/29/2003 North Carolina 24 5/26/2003 Virginia NCAA Championship
Virginia 5/26/2003 Johns Hopkins NCAA Championship 16 2/28/2004 Air Force
Air Force 2/28/2004 Virginia 1 3/6/2004 Army West Point
Army West Point 3/6/2004 Air Force 1 3/27/2004 Navy
Navy 3/27/2004 Army West Point 3 4/24/2004 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 4/24/2004 Navy 25 5/29/2004 Syracuse NCAA Semifinal
Syracuse 5/29/2004 Johns Hopkins NCAA Semifinal, would eventually win NCAA Championship 14 3/5/2005 Virginia
Virginia 3/5/2005 Syracuse 17 3/26/2005 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/26/2005 Virginia Would eventually win NCAA Championship 26 3/4/2006 Princeton
Princeton 3/4/2006 Johns Hopkins 6 3/12/2006 Virginia
Virginia 3/12/2006 Princeton Would eventually win NCAA Championship 18 2/18/2007 Drexel
Drexel 2/18/2007 Virginia 1 2/24/2007 Lehigh
Lehigh 2/24/2007 Drexel 1 2/28/2007 Penn
Penn 2/28/2007 Lehigh 1 3/6/2007 Bucknell
Bucknell 3/6/2007 Penn 1 3/13/2007 Fairfield
Fairfield 3/13/2007 Bucknell 1 3/24/2007 Penn State
Penn State 3/24/2007 Fairfield 1 3/31/2007 UMass
UMass 3/31/2007 Penn State 2 4/21/2007 Georgetown
Georgetown 4/21/2007 UMass 1 5/19/2007 Johns Hopkins NCAA Quarterfinal
Johns Hopkins 5/19/2007 Georgetown Would eventually win NCAA Championship 27 3/8/2008 Hofstra
Hofstra 3/8/2008 Johns Hopkins 4 3/15/2008 Princeton
Princeton 3/15/2008 Hofstra 7 3/21/2008 Albany
Albany 3/21/2008 Princeton 1 4/12/2008 UMBC
UMBC 4/12/2008 Albany 2 5/11/2008 Virginia NCAA First Round
Virginia 5/11/2008 UMBC 19 5/24/2008 Syracuse NCAA Semifinal
Syracuse 5/24/2008 Virginia NCAA Semifinal, would eventually win NCAA Championship 15 2/27/2009 Virginia
Virginia 2/27/2009 Syracuse 20 4/11/2009 Duke
Duke 4/11/2009 Virginia 4 5/23/2009 Syracuse NCAA Semifinal
Syracuse 5/23/2009 Duke NCAA Semifinal, would eventually win NCAA Championship 16 3/7/2010 Virginia
Virginia 3/7/2010 Syracuse 21 4/17/2010 Duke
Duke 4/17/2010 Virginia 5 4/23/2010 Virginia
Virginia 4/23/2010 Duke 22 5/29/2010 Duke NCAA Semifinal
Duke 5/29/2010 Virginia NCAA Semifinal, would eventually win NCAA Championship 6 2/20/2011 Notre Dame
Notre Dame 2/20/2011 Duke 2 4/30/2011 Syracuse
Syracuse 4/30/2011 Notre Dame 17 5/22/2011 Maryland NCAA Quarterfinal
Maryland 5/22/2011 Syracuse NCAA Quarterfinal 10 5/30/2011 Virginia NCAA Championship
Virginia 5/30/2011 Maryland NCAA Championship 23 3/24/2012 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 3/24/2012 Virginia 28 4/1/2012 North Carolina
North Carolina 4/1/2012 Johns Hopkins 12 4/7/2012 Virginia
Virginia 4/7/2012 North Carolina 24 4/13/2012 Duke
Duke 4/13/2012 Virginia 7 4/27/2012 Denver
Denver 4/27/2012 Duke 1 5/2/2012 Loyola
Loyola 5/2/2012 Denver Would eventually win NCAA Championship 5 2/23/2013 Maryland
Maryland 2/23/2013 Loyola 11 3/23/2013 North Carolina
North Carolina 3/23/2013 Maryland 13 5/19/2013 Denver NCAA Quarterfinal
Denver 5/19/2013 North Carolina NCAA Quarterfinal 2 5/25/2013 Syracuse NCAA Semifinal
Syracuse 5/25/2013 Denver NCAA Semifinal 18 5/27/2013 Duke NCAA Championship
Duke 5/27/2013 Syracuse NCAA Championship 8 3/1/2014 Maryland
Maryland 3/1/2014 Duke 12 3/22/2014 North Carolina
North Carolina 3/22/2014 Maryland 14 4/12/2014 Syracuse
Syracuse 4/12/2014 North Carolina 19 4/27/2014 Notre Dame
Notre Dame 4/27/2014 Syracuse 3 5/26/2014 Duke NCAA Championship
Duke 5/26/2014 Notre Dame NCAA Championship 9 2/14/2015 Denver
Denver 2/14/2015 Duke 3 2/27/2015 North Carolina
North Carolina 2/27/2015 Denver 15 3/21/2015 Maryland
Maryland 3/21/2015 North Carolina 13 4/25/2015 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 4/25/2015 Maryland 29 5/23/2015 Maryland NCAA Semifinal
Maryland 5/23/2015 Johns Hopkins NCAA Semifinal 14 5/25/2015 Denver NCAA Championship
Denver 5/25/2015 Maryland NCAA Championship 4 3/26/2016 Penn State
Penn State 3/26/2016 Denver 2 4/10/2016 Maryland
Maryland 4/10/2016 Penn State 15 5/30/2016 North Carolina NCAA Championship
North Carolina 5/30/2016 Maryland NCAA Championship 16 2/25/2017 Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins 2/25/2017 North Carolina 30 3/3/2017 Princeton
Princeton 3/3/2017 Johns Hopkins 8 3/15/2017 Rutgers
Rutgers 3/15/2017 Princeton 1 3/25/2017 Delaware
Delaware 3/25/2017 Rutgers 1 4/1/2017 UMass
UMass 4/1/2017 Delaware 3 4/8/2017 Towson
Towson 4/8/2017 UMass 4 4/22/2017 Fairfield
Fairfield 4/22/2017 Towson Did not make NCAA Tournament 2 2/10/2018 Vermont
Vermont 2/10/2018 Fairfield 1 3/17/2018 Albany
Albany 3/17/2018 Vermont 2 4/6/2018 UMBC
UMBC 4/6/2018 Albany 3 4/27/2018 Vermont
Vermont 4/27/2018 UMBC 2 5/5/2018 Albany
Albany 5/5/2018 Vermont 3 5/26/2018 Yale NCAA Semifinal
Yale 5/26/2018 Albany NCAA Semifinal, would eventually win NCAA Championship 1 2/16/2019 Villanova
Villanova 2/16/2019 Yale 1 3/8/2019 Penn
Penn 3/8/2019 Villanova 2 5/19/2019 Yale NCAA Quarterfinal
Yale 5/19/2019 Penn 2 5/27/2019 Virginia NCAA Championship
Virginia 5/27/2019 Yale NCAA Championship 25 2/22/2020 Princeton
Princeton 2/22/2020 Virginia 9 Present

Total Reigns

There have been two times where the national champion was not the lineal champion, Hofstra in 2002 and Fairfield in 2017.