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TAMPA, Fla., May 2, 2026\u00a0\u2013 The University of South Florida Women’s Lacrosse program competed in the American Conference Championship game on Saturday, for the second consecutive season. A feat no program in NCAA D1 has ever accomplished.
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\nWhile the Bulls fell to JMU, 17-7, the resume they built across the 2026 season speaks for itself. USF’s case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament is not diminished by one game \u2014 it is defined by an entire body of work that places them among the most accomplished second-year programs in the history of college lacrosse.
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\nUSF’s RPI Is No. 14<\/p>\n
\n\tNo team, since the expansion to 29 teams, has ranked this high in RPI and not been selected.
\n\tEvery team ranked inside the top 21 by RPI has received a tournament bid \u2014 USF would be the first exception.
\n\tThis is the highest RPI ranking for any first- or second-year program in NCAA D1 women’s lacrosse history.
\n\tNo program in NCAA D1 history has competed for the conference tournament title in each of its first two seasons \u2014 except USF.
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Strength of Schedule \u2014 Top-10 & Top-25 RPI Opponents
\nSouth Florida faced three Top-10 RPI opponents this season (Michigan, Florida, Navy) and six Top-25 RPI opponents (JMU twice and Richmond).
\nvs. Top-10 RPI Michigan<\/p>\n
\n\tUSF twice held a four-goal lead and was tied or leading for 38 minutes and 50 seconds of the 60-minute contest.
\n\tSeveral yellow cards in the second half gave Michigan the advantage they needed.
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at Top-10 RPI Florida<\/p>\n
\n\tSouth Florida outshot the Gators 39-23 \u2014 only Navy generated more shots against UF all season.
\n\tUSF forced Florida into a 2:1 turnover ratio (14 to 7).
\n\tThe Bulls were tied or within one goal for most of the third quarter.
\n\tThe margin and flow of this game closely mirrored Florida’s win over Colorado (9-7).
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Strength of Record (Per LacrosseReference.com)
\nAs of May 1, 2026, South Florida ranked ahead of multiple likely NCAA tournament selections in strength of record:
\nUSF \u2014 No. 17 in NCAA D1
\nPenn State \u2014 No. 21 in NCAA D1
\nGeorgetown \u2014 No. 23 in NCAA D1
\nLoyola \u2014 No. 32 in NCAA D1
\nRutgers \u2014 No. 36 in NCAA D1
\nPenn \u2014 No. 41 in NCAA D1<\/p>\n
Advantages in At-Large Considerations
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\n\tUSF beat Temple twice \u2014 a team that beat Penn at Penn by five goals.
\n\tUSF beat Brown (13-10) \u2014 a team that also beat Penn.
\n\tUSF beat JMU (9-7) \u2014 a team that beat UVA, Georgetown, and Richmond.
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Recent Form \u2014 Last Seven Games (4-2)
\nL, 17-7 \u2014 South Florida vs. JMU (American Championship)
\nW, 13-7 \u2014 South Florida vs. Temple
\nW, 12-9 \u2014 South Florida at Vanderbilt
\nW, 17-4 \u2014 South Florida vs. ECU
\nW, 22-11 \u2014 South Florida vs. Charlotte
\nL, 14-8 \u2014 South Florida vs. Florida (Top-10 RPI)
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\nNational Statistical Rankings
\nSouth Florida ranks among the nation’s elite programs across 10 major statistical categories (as of April 30, 2026):
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\n\t3rd in NCAA in Shots Per Game (35.81)
\n\t8th in NCAA in Shots on Goal Per Game (24.56)
\n\t11th in NCAA in Ground Balls Per Game (18.63)
\n\t18th in NCAA in Win Percentage (.750)
\n\t19th in NCAA in Scoring Margin (+4.69)
\n\t19th in NCAA in Scoring Offense (14.19 GPG)
\n\t21st in NCAA in Draw Controls Per Game (14.69)
\n\t22nd in NCAA in Points Per Game (20.69)
\n\t25th in NCAA in Draw Control Percentage (58.2%)
\n\t28th in NCAA in Caused Turnovers Per Game (10.38)
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\nIn Her Own Words \u2014 Head Coach Mindy McCord
\nCoach McCord has led two programs to the NCAA Sweet 16, both at Jacksonville University. As a coach who has been to the tournament and knows what tournament-caliber lacrosse looks like, her assessment carries weight:
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\n“This USF team is my most complete team from top to bottom that I’ve ever coached. The improvement we have made this season alone, along with our overall growth in just two years, is incredible. Despite health impacts to the majority of the team over two weeks this season \u2014 including a two-game, three-day trip at ODU and Richmond \u2014 we fought super hard. With the team 100% healthy now, this is a team that can compete with anyone in the top 10 and push them to their limit. This group is more than deserving of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.”
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\nTickets
\nFans can purchase women’s lacrosse tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at USFBullsTix.com<\/a>.
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\nFollow USF Women’s Lacrosse
\nTo stay up-to-date on the latest USF Women’s Lacrosse news, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>).
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\nAbout USF Women’s Lacrosse
\nAmidst its\u00a0second season, the University of South Florida women’s lacrosse program builds on a historic inaugural year that quickly established the Bulls as a contender in the American Athletic Conference. South Florida opened its first-ever season on Feb. 7, 2025, with a 19\u20136 win over Kennesaw State, setting the\u00a0State of Florida regular-season attendance record\u00a0as 2,386 fans filled Corbett Stadium. The Bulls went on to finish the 2025 season with a\u00a013\u20135 record\u00a0and earned a place in the\u00a0American Conference Championship\u00a0in their inaugural season, ultimately finishing as the league’s runner-up. South Florida also drew more than\u00a010,000 total fans\u00a0to Corbett Stadium during the season. USF named\u00a0Mindy McCord<\/a>, an eight-time conference coach of the year, as the program’s first head coach in May 2022. McCord arrived in Tampa with\u00a0240 career wins\u00a0and a proven record of building successful programs after launching and leading Jacksonville University’s women’s lacrosse team for its first 13 seasons. During her tenure at JU, she guided the Dolphins to\u00a021 regular-season and conference tournament titles,\u00a0eight NCAA Tournament appearances, and back-to-back\u00a0Sweet Sixteen\u00a0berths while developing\u00a013 All-Americans,\u00a081 all-conference selections, and\u00a013 conference Player of the Year honorees. South Florida plays a fast-paced, high-scoring style influenced by the early 1990s Loyola Marymount men’s basketball fast break. That approach ranked among the national leaders in shots, points per game, and scoring margin during McCord’s tenure at Jacksonville and continues to shape the Bulls’ offensive identity heading into year two.
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\n\u2013\u00a0#GoBulls\u00a0\u2013<\/p>\n