⏰ 1 MONTH COUNTDOWN...

Welcome to 2024, TLN readers! The NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse season is LESS THAN ONE MONTH AWAY.

With the first game scheduled for Feb. 2, here are the five biggest water-cooler talking points to know heading into the spring…

Can Notre Dame Repeat? The Fighting Irish won their first NCAA Championship in program history last season. Many of the key playmakers from that run are back for the 2024 season, including both Pat and Chris Kavanagh, as well as goalie Liam Entenmann. There are some interesting athletes on the roster this year, with former quarterback Tyler Buchner transferring in from Alabama and freshman Jordan Faison coming off an impressive fall with the Notre Dame football team at wide receiver.

Syracuse Sophomore Slump…Or Jump? Head coach Gary Gait built a winning roster around attackman Joey Spallina and a loaded freshman class last season. In 2024, however, he’ll be without his most valuable assistant in Dave Pietramala, who left during the offseason to become the defensive coordinator at North Carolina. Other key losses include Cole Kirst and Alex Simmons, who are now legitimate stars at the professional level. Spallina, in particular, will be under the microscope after leading the team with 68 points as a freshman.

Will Brennan O’Neill Be Denied A National Title? In 2024, Duke attackman Brennan O’Neill will put the final touches on one of the most prolific college careers of all time. He already has 226 points and a Tewaaraton Award to his name. Last summer, he won a Gold Medal with Team USA and was named MVP of the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship. This summer, he’s projected to go No. 1 overall in the PLL Draft. The only thing that has eluded him so far is a National Championship. After falling short on that stage last spring, O’Neill has one last chance to silence his few remaining detractors.

Is Johns Hopkins All The Way Back? Last year, Hopkins bounced back and made it to the NCAA Quarterfinals. But by this historic program’s standards, the Blue Jays won’t be all the way “back” until they reach Championship Weekend. Maryland isn’t the only conference powerhouse standing in their way in 2024. Michigan is coming off its first Big Ten Championship in program history, and Penn State was one controversial call away from an NCAA Championship appearance. The pressure is on team leaders like senior attackman Russell Melendez and goalie Chayse Ierlan (Cornell transfer).

Who Are The Freshmen To Watch? Virginia’s McCabe Millon was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023, but he has to carve out a role within the Cavaliers’ talented offensive lineup. UNC attackman Owen Duffy, who topped Inside Lacrosse’s Power 100 Incoming Freshman Rankings, has more potential to make an instant impact. Another name you’re going to hear a lot this year is Princeton attackman Nate Kabiri, who may be the flashiest freshman and has room to become a go-to playmaker for the Tigers in 2024.

⚡️ PLL Champ Series & Japan Trip

College lacrosse is fast approaching, but the Premier Lacrosse League also has some major events coming up this winter/spring. The first one is the 2024 PLL Championship Series.

Last year’s Champ Series was a hit. It was an introduction to Sixes for many lacrosse fans, and it was so well-received that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has since approved the sport to be played at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

Here are the matchups slated for Feb. 14-19:

Games will be played at The St. James just outside Washington, D.C., and they will air on the ABC/ESPN/ESPN+ family of networks.

One month after Championship Series, the PLL is heading back to Japan for an international exhibition game. Last year, the league had an opportunity to help grow the game overseas, experience Japanese culture and compete against the best men’s and women’s lacrosse players in Japan.

The 2024 PLL/Unleashed vs. Japan games will be played on March 20. Click here to watch the highlights from last year.

🗓 2024 PLL Schedule & Homecomings

Looking deeper into the 2024 lacrosse calendar now, the PLL released its full regular-season schedule — complete with homecoming weekends — on Jan. 1.

Here’s a look at the full slate from May 31 to Aug. 18:

In addition to the eight Homecoming Weekends, the 2024 PLL schedule includes nuetral-site stops in Minneapolis and Fairfield. The All-Star Game will be played in Louisville for the second consecutive year.

The 2024 season will mark the first time that PLL teams will have a home city. Each team will play two games during their respective Homecoming Weekend, giving one of the other eight teams a bye.

👀 New PLL Playoff Format in 2024

On top of Homecoming Weekends during the regular season, the PLL also announced a brand new playoff format for the 2024 season. Moving forward, we’ll have Eastern and Western Conference Champions, and only six teams will qualify for the playoffs (down from seven).

Here’s how the new playoff bracket will look next summer:

Stay tuned for more information on playoff locations and dates.