The NCAA lacrosse championships are here this weekend. Here’s who to watch and how to navigate

While a good portion of the region looks to head out of town to kick off Philly’s unofficial start of summer, thousands plan to flock into the city for a weekend of NCAA college championships.

Philadelphia will once again be the mecca of the college lacrosse world as the NCAA men’s lacrosse championships return to Lincoln Financial Field, the first in a two-year commitment to bring its championship weekend to South Philly.

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According to the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, this weekend is anticipated to bring in close to $24 million in revenue to the city. Alongside lacrosse, the NCAA rowing championships will begin just over the bridge in Pennsauken, at the Camden County Boathouse along the Cooper River, the same location where the Dad Vail Regatta took place earlier this month.

This year, the NCAA lacrosse championships will host the semifinal and championship games in Division I and the title games for both Division II and Division III teams.

For those coming to the city, here’s what to expect.

The Division I semifinals feature No. 5 seeded Penn State taking on top-seeded Duke in the early game Saturday (noon, ESPN+), followed by No. 3 Notre Dame against No. 2 Virginia at 2:30 p.m. The winners will play in the championship game on Memorial Day (1 p.m., NCAA.com).

Sunday is championship day for D-II and D-III teams. No. 2 Mercyhurst will face No. 5 Lenoir-Rhyne at 1 p.m. (NCAA.com). Should be interesting considering that Lenoir-Rhyne is the first No. 5 seed to make it to championship weekend. The late game features an undefeated team from Tufts (22-0) taking on Salisbury (Md.) College (4 p.m., NCAA.com).

A ton. In fact among the eight teams taking part, there are 37 players across various rosters who hail from the Philadelphia region.

Unsurprising: Penn State has the most area natives with 16 on its roster.

Surprising: Salisbury (Md.), comes in a distant second with five players on the roster.

Interesting: Salisbury also features a pair of brothers, Michael and Matthew Clibanoff of Ambler who both attended La Salle College High School.

Refreshing: There are three local players on North Carolina-based Lenoir-Rhyne, one of whom is a USILA first-team All-American in Bryce Reese, a senior from Mount Laurel and a Lenape High School alum.

Homecoming: Penn State junior midfielder Brent McVicker is from Maryland but is a transfer who formerly played at Drexel and was a key piece of the Dragons’ run to the Colonial Athletic Association championship in 2021.

Did you know? Drexel will serve as the host of the NCAA lacrosse championships this year and next.

There are, a couple of options to select from, although many of the seats for these games have already hit the secondary market.

There are the all-session tickets, which offer all five games over the course of three days, and according to secondary ticket vendor StubHub, tickets start at $86. There are also options to buy tickets for Saturday’s Division I semifinal games or Monday’s championship game.

If you really have some cash to burn, the NCAA through its partner “On Location” is marketing its “fan experience ticket,” which in addition to a ticket to Monday’s final is said to offer an open bar with snacks, private entrance into the Linc, and a photo opportunity with the national championship trophy. Tickets start at $185 per person.

Start by just calling it the “Linc,” which is accessible from all points of I-95 by getting off at either the Packer Avenue exit or the Broad Street exit and making your way southeast. Or from Center City take the scenic route and just head down Broad Street South.

Now, for those who like an adventure or plan to stay in a Center City hotel, our tip is to simply jump on the SEPTA Broad Street Line headed south and get off at the very last stop, NRG Station.

Take the escalator up to the concourse and there are all of Philly’s pro sports arenas right in front of you. The Linc is about a quarter-mile walk from the station. Just a suggestion, since we can’t be entirely sure if these numbers from secondary market retailer VividSeats are for real or a cruel joke, but if the going rate really is $83 to park your car in one of the lots at the Linc, then all we’re saying is consider the alternative.

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