ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) concluded its 2025 Annual Convention on a high note; marking a watershed moment for women’s collegiate lacrosse as more than 700 coaches, administrators, and industry leaders gathered to chart an ambitious course for the sport’s future ahead of its 2028 Olympic debut.
The three-day convention centered around the “Legacy and Momentum” presentation of the IWLCA’s comprehensive White Paper on the Future of Women’s Intercollegiate Lacrosse, developed in partnership with CarrSports Consulting. The document, which draws on input from over 1,000 stakeholders, has already catalyzed significant action across the sport.
White Paper Panel Captivates Full Capacity Audience
The centerpiece of Wednesday’s opening session featured a panel discussion moderated by ESPN play-by-play commentator Jay Alter, exploring the White Paper’s five strategic priorities for elevating women’s lacrosse; Establish a Unified Vision and Brand, Simplify Rules and Game Administration, Attract and Retain Exemplary Game Officials, Enhance the Championship Experience, Expand and Maximize Media Exposure. The panel included 2025 NCAA Division I National Champion Head Coach, Jenny Levy, of the University of North Carolina, IWLCA President and University of Tampa Head Coach, Kelly Gallagher, White Paper authors Jeff Hathaway and Gerald O’Dell of CarrSports Consulting, ESPN Executive and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, Carol Stiff, and Dickinson College Athletic Director and former University of Maryland lacrosse player, Celine Cunningham.
“This panel discussion engaged and energized our membership,” said Liz Robertshaw, Executive Director of the IWLCA. “To see National Championship coaches, an ESPN executive, an athletic director, and the research team all aligned around the same vision of simplifying our rules, enhancing championships, expanding media exposure, developing officials, and establishing unified leadership demonstrated that we’re not just talking about change, we’re making it happen.”
The presentation underscored both the sport’s remarkable growth trajectory (556 total NCAA and NAIA programs, a 135% increase in high school participation, record championship attendance of 14,423 fans, and a 269% increase in viewership since moving to ESPN) and the challenges ahead, including financial pressures from the NCAA House Settlement and the need for strategic action to secure women’s lacrosse’s position among premier women’s sports.
Industry Leaders Embrace Vision for Change
The White Paper has garnered enthusiastic support from key decision-makers in collegiate athletics and sports media. Burke Magnus, President of Content at ESPN, praised the strategic framework’s potential to transform the sport’s media prospects.
“The findings in this White Paper come at a pivotal moment for intercollegiate women’s lacrosse,” Magnus said. “As media executives, we’re always looking for compelling sports content that can expand our audiences, and these proposed changes directly address the barriers we’ve seen to expanding coverage. A more streamlined game format would make women’s lacrosse significantly more accessible to casual viewers. When you reduce complexity and create a fast-paced product, you open the door to the kind of storytelling and audience engagement that drives viewership.”
Magnus emphasized the equity implications of the proposed changes: “What excites me most is the equity aspect of these changes. All schools across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III along with NAIA would benefit from increased exposure. When the sport becomes more media friendly, it creates new opportunities for sponsorships, recruiting visibility, and fan development at every level. The rapid growth of women’s sports has been one of the most important developments across modern sports media, and these proposals position intercollegiate women’s lacrosse to capitalize on that momentum.”
Recently retired U.S. Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk, a longtime supporter of women’s sports, celebrated the sport’s evolution and the White Paper’s vision: “Exploding nationally with enthusiastic involvement at every level, the game has evolved into a passionate commitment by some of the finest athletes in women’s sport. The resource investments, player development at every level, broad based organizational ambitions, and extraordinary levels of skill have captivated the interest and determination of thousands of aspiring champions. Congratulations to all those who have contributed to the rapid and successful growth and advancement of women in sport, and most especially those contributions to the historic emergence of Women’s lacrosse.”
Major Victory in the Making: Combined Championship Closer to Becoming a Reality
In a significant announcement that validates the White Paper’s impact, the IWLCA noted that the NCAA has taken public meaningful steps towards creating a combined Division I, II & III women’s lacrosse championship in 2027. Noted as one of the key recommendations from the White Paper, if this proposal comes to fruition, it will mark a major step forward in championship equity.
“Having the three NCAA Championships at the same location is a game-changer for women’s lacrosse,” Robertshaw said. “This addresses one of the core equity issues identified in the NCAA Gender Equity Review and demonstrates that when we advocate strategically and unite around shared priorities, we can drive meaningful change. This combined championship format will provide Division II and Division III student-athletes with access to premier venues and professional facilities, elevate the profile of all divisions, create enhanced media opportunities across the board, and showcase the depth and breadth of women’s lacrosse talent to a national audience. The IWLCA’s sustained focus on this issue is exactly the kind of forward movement we need to grow the game at every level.”
Convention Highlights and Momentum
Throughout the event, coaches participated in professional development sessions, collaborative workshops on implementing White Paper recommendations, and discussions about navigating the evolving collegiate athletics environment. The convention also featured recognition of championship teams and individual achievements, along with networking opportunities with industry partners.
“The energy at this convention was unlike anything I’ve experienced in my years as IWLCA President,” Gallagher said. “Coaches from all divisions (Division I, Division II, Division III, and NAIA) came together with a shared sense of purpose. We’re not just celebrating what we’ve built; we’re committing to the work ahead. This White Paper gives us permission to think big, and this convention gave us the roadmap to turn those ideas into action.”
Hall of Fame inductee and Coach Jenny Levy, whose North Carolina Tar Heels captured the 2025 NCAA Division I Championship, emphasized the urgency of the moment during the panel discussion. “With the Olympics on the horizon, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to elevate women’s lacrosse,” Levy said. “A rising tide lifts all boats, and the Strategic Priorities laid out in the White Paper provide the roadmap we need to capitalize on this momentum and ensure every coach and every student-athlete in every division reach their full potential.”
Looking Ahead
The IWLCA will now work in strategic phases to implement the White Paper’s recommendations, looking to collaborate with the leadership groups such as the NCAA, USA Lacrosse, NFHS, CWLOA, Professional Women’s Lacrosse (WLL), media partners, and other key stakeholders. With the NCAA’s new governance structure enabling more nimble rule changes, the organization is optimistic that improvements can be implemented on an accelerated timeline.
“Women’s lacrosse has to make sure that we are not just standing by and watching things happen to us,” Robertshaw said. “Instead, we make decisions that demonstrate our value, our growth, our potential, and our need on college campuses. Changes are required to both secure and strengthen our future. It’s not just going to happen because we want it to, because we love our sport. It’s really going to happen if we are strategic, if we are phase-driven, and move forward in a way that grows every single division, every single program, and pushes our professional leagues and national teams even higher, as well as inspires and encourages all the young ones who look up to these women’s lacrosse players, coaches, and programs.”
The IWLCA’s comprehensive White Paper is available here.
About the IWLCA: The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) is the professional organization for women’s lacrosse coaches and represents nearly 1,500 collegiate coaches across all divisions. The IWLCA is dedicated to promoting the sport of women’s lacrosse, fostering the development of the game at all levels, and serving as the primary advocate for women’s lacrosse coaches. For more information, visit www.iwlca.org.