ITHACA, N.Y. – Despite capturing the program's fourth NCAA Championship last May, the defending national champion Cornell men's lacrosse team has been picked to finish second in the 2026 Ivy League Preseason Media Poll, the conference announced Thursday.
The Big Red earned 85 points and two first-place votes from the 14-member media panel, finishing behind Princeton, which received 12 first-place votes and 96 points. Cornell went 6-0 in Ivy League play last season and 18-1 overall en route to the program's first national title in 48 years.
Cornell enters the 2026 season ranked No. 4 nationally in both the USILA Coaches' Poll and Inside Lacrosse Poll. The Big Red have won or shared the Ivy League regular season title in three of the last four seasons and claimed the Ivy League Tournament championship three times, including last season.
The Big Red open the 2026 season Saturday, Feb. 15, at UAlbany at 1 p.m. Cornell's first Ivy League contest is Saturday, March 14 at Schoellkopf Field begining at noon.
2026 IVY LEAGUE MEN'S LACROSSE PRESEASON POLL
Predicted Order of Finish (First-Place Votes in Parentheses)
- Princeton – 96 (12)
- CORNELL – 85 (2)
- Harvard – 69
- Yale – 50
- Dartmouth – 42
- Penn – 32
- Brown – 18
Poll conducted among a panel of 14 Ivy League men's lacrosse media members
