TAMPA, Fla., April 28, 2026 – The University of South Florida women's lacrosse team (11-4, 6-0 American) opens the 2026 American Conference championship tournament as the No. 1 seed on Thursday, squaring off against No. 4 seed Temple (12-4, 3-3 American) in the tournament semifinals.
 
First draw is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 30, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. The game will stream live on ESPN+.
 
South Florida enters the postseason on the strength of a perfect 6-0 run through American Conference play — a stretch that produced the program's first-ever outright regular season title, claimed with a 12-9 road victory at Vanderbilt last Saturday.
 
McCord's Bulls reached a program record No. 14 in the NCAA RPI following their win at Vanderbilt. Monday's InsideLacrosse Media Poll saw USF break into the top-25 for the first time ever, with the Bulls ranked No. 25 by national-level journalists.
 
The Bulls are just the second program in NCAA D1 history to win a conference championship within their first two seasons of competition (Florida, 2011).
 
Now, USF sets its sights on the tournament crown, looking to become the first program in NCAA Division I history to win a postseason conference championship within the first two years of the program's existence.
 
South Florida could also become just the second program in D1 women's lacrosse history to reach the NCAA Tournament in their first or second year of existence, joining Florida (year 2; 2011).
 
Series History
South Florida holds a 2-0 all-time record against Temple. After defeating the Owls 15-9 to open conference play in March of 2025, the Bulls earned an 11-10 fourth-quarter comeback win at Howarth Field in Philadelphia on March 14 of this season. The two programs now meet for the first time with postseason stakes on the line.
 
The Opponent
Temple enters the American Conference Championship having finished the regular season 12-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play, earning the No. 4 seed.
 
The Owls closed out the regular season by winning four straight, including a 16-3 road win at Charlotte and an 11-6 home finish over Drexel on April 21.
 
Temple is one of the most decorated programs in the field, having made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances in program history. They are one of just eight programs with two or more NCAA championships (1984 and 1988).
 
Note-A-Bulls:

• South Florida ranks No. 4 in the NCAA in shots per game (35.6) and No. 8 in shots on goal per game (24.4).
• USF ranks No. 19 in scoring offense (14.27 goals per game), No. 20 in scoring margin (+4.6), and No. 22 in points per game (20.67).
• The Bulls are No. 18 nationally in draw controls per game (14.8) and lead the conference in the category.
• South Florida is No. 11 in ground balls per game (18.47) and continues to control possession at a high level.
• USF leads the conference in multiple offensive categories, including points per game (20.79) and shots per game.
• Sofia Chepenik leads the offense with 60 points (4.00 per game), ranking among the top players nationally.
• Maggie Newton has totaled 31 assists this season, ranking inside the top 40 nationally.
• USF went a perfect 6-0 in American Conference play, claiming the outright regular season championship. The Bulls sit No. 14 in RPI and No. 25 in the InsideLacrosse Media Poll, both program records.

Tickets
Fans can purchase women's lacrosse tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at USFBullsTix.com.
 
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About USF Women's Lacrosse
Amidst its second 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 19–6 win over Kennesaw State, setting the State of Florida regular-season attendance record as 2,386 fans filled Corbett Stadium. The Bulls went on to finish the 2025 season with a 13–5 record and earned a place in the American Conference Championship in their inaugural season, ultimately finishing as the league's runner-up. South Florida also drew more than 10,000 total fans to Corbett Stadium during the season. USF named Mindy McCord, an eight-time conference coach of the year, as the program's first head coach in May 2022. McCord arrived in Tampa with 240 career wins and 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 21 regular-season and conference tournament titles, eight NCAA Tournament appearances, and back-to-back Sweet Sixteen berths while developing 13 All-Americans, 81 all-conference selections, and 13 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.
 
– #GoBulls –