The NCAA Division I and Division III field hockey tournaments are annual single-elimination tournaments conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the national champion of women's collegiate field hockey in the United States.
NCAA Division I Field Hockey Tournament
The NCAA Division I field hockey tournament is an American intercollegiate field hockey tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and determines the Division I national champion. The championship is contested exclusively by women's teams and there is no equivalent NCAA men's field hockey championship.
Field hockey was one of 12 women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981-82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the AIAW for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same 12 (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA overcame the AIAW and usurped its authority and membership.
The tournament originally began with six teams but has since expanded to 18; at different times a third-place game has been played as well. Under the tournament's current format, 18 teams qualify for the tournament with two play-in games. The play-in games and first two rounds are played at the home turf of the higher seeds in each matchup.
Most Successful Team
The most successful team is the North Carolina Tar Heels, who have eleven titles. In addition, North Carolina has finished national runner-up an NCAA record eleven times.
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For the 29th time in program history and 16th time in 17 seasons, North Carolina is preparing for an NCAA Field Hockey semifinal contest. North Carolina will be making its NCAA-record 29th trip to the Final Four. In the semifinals, #1 North Carolina will meet #2 Northwestern in a rematch of the 2022 and 2023 national championship matches.
Earlier this month, North Carolina won its ninth consecutive ACC Field Hockey Championship and 28th ACC title overall.
The ACC's five selections - Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse, Virginia and Wake Forest - to the 2025 NCAA were the most of any conference. The ACC landed multiple teams in the NCAA field for the 31st consecutive year. North Carolina's Dani Mendez was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2025 ACC Field Hockey Championships.
Virginia vs. North Carolina Championship Full Game Replay | 2025 ACC Field Hockey
NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament
The NCAA Division III field hockey tournament is an annual single-elimination tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the national champion of women's Division III collegiate field hockey in the United States. Currently, 24 teams compete in each national championship tournament.
Most Successful Team
The most successful team has been The College of New Jersey, with 11 titles.
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Recent Tournament Highlights
Several teams have made notable appearances and achieved significant results in recent tournaments:
- Tufts: The Jumbos return to the Final Four after finishing the 2024 season as the national runners-up. Tufts is making its seventh appearance in the national semifinals and will play Christopher Newport in the first semifinal on Friday, November 21 at Noon on the Trinity campus.
- Johns Hopkins: Middlebury suffered a 3-0 setback to No. 2-ranked Johns Hopkins in third-round action. The loss snapped the most historic run in NCAA field hockey as the Panthers were the seven-time defending champions, marking the longest championship streak in the sport regardless of division.
- Babson: Wesleyan’s historic season came to an end with a 1-0 loss at Babson. The Beavers scored at the 17:54 mark on one of their three shots in the entire contest and held off the Cardinals the rest of the way.
Key Moments
Tufts def. Bates, 3-1:
Tufts got off to a fast start with Lilly Ragusa scoring her seventh goal of the year just 1:28 into the game. Hannah Biccard’s 16th goal of the season pushed Tufts’ lead to 2-0 with just six minutes played. Bates sliced the lead in half at 11:31 on a goal by Caroline Nowak, her sixth of the year. Neither team scored in the second quarter, and the Jumbos took a 2-1 lead into the break. Late in the third quarter, Reagan Malo netted her fifth marker of the year to give Tufts a 3-1 cushion. Bates built some momentum in the fourth quarter, but two defensive saves by Tufts kept the Bobcats off the board. Tufts had the advantage in shots (20-9). Ava Donohue made three saves for the Bobcats, while Lydia Eastburn made two stops for the Jumbos.
Johns Hopkins def. Middlebury, 3-0:
Johns Hopkins scored once in each of the first three quarters and defended 10 Middlebury penalty corners to earn the victory.
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Babson def. Wesleyan, 1-0:
Wesleyan held the advantage in shots (9-3) and penalty corners (5-3) but could not score against Babson. Madison Tibbals was credited with two stops to earn the shutout, while Audrey Pace made one save for Wesleyan. The Cardinals conclude the season with a 16-5 record, the most wins in a single season.
NCAA Tournament Appearances
60 teams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament in at least one year starting with 1981 (the initial year that the post-season tournament was under the auspices of the NCAA).
The NCAA Division I and Division III field hockey tournaments showcase the pinnacle of collegiate field hockey talent, with a rich history of competitive matches and memorable moments. The tournaments continue to evolve, providing a platform for teams to compete for national titles and create lasting legacies.