Tampa Selected to Claim Third Straight SSC Men’s Lacrosse Title
Spartans look to win ninth SSC title
A.J. Vazquez, Communications Contractor
MELBOURNE, FLORIDA - The University of Tampa was selected as the 2026 Sunshine State Conference Men’s Lacrosse preseason favorite in a poll voted on by the league’s eight head coaches. The Spartans received 49 points with all seven possible first-place votes, as coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.
Tampa enters the 2026 season at the top of the preseason poll for the 12th time since the Sunshine State Conference’s inaugural Men’s Lacrosse season in 2014. The 2025 national runners-up are seeking a third straight conference title and ninth overall while pushing for a return to the NCAA Division II Men’s Lacrosse National Championship. However, other conference members seek to challenge the Spartans and claim the 2026 SSC Men’s Lacrosse Championship.
Saint Leo University and Rollins College both received 37 points in the poll, tied for second place. Saint Leo was named the league’s regular-season champion in 2018 before finishing the season as the national runner-up, while Rollins won the SSC Championship in 2023.
In fourth, Lynn University earned 29 points, while Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University followed closely in fifth with 25 points. Closing the poll are Florida Tech in sixth (22), Florida Southern College in seventh (18), and Palm Beach Atlantic University in eighth (7).
The season opens next Friday, January 30, with Tampa hosting Florida Tech in the first regular-season SSC matchup of 2026. The 2026 Sunshine State Conference Championship begins Saturday, April 18, followed by semifinals on April 22 and the title game on April 25.
Below are the full results of the 2026 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their teams (points: 7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).
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2026 SSC Men’s Lacrosse Preseason Coaches Poll
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Place
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Team
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Total
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1
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Tampa
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49 (7)
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T2
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Saint Leo
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37 (1)
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T2
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Rollins
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37
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4
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Lynn
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29
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5
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Embry-Riddle
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25
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6
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Florida Tech
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22
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7
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Florida Southern
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18
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8
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Palm Beach Atlantic
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7
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SSC Men’s Lacrosse History: National Champions | Conference Champions | All-SSC Teams | All-Americans | Record Book
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Previous SSC Men’s Lacrosse Polls
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Year
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Predicted Winner (Actual Finish)
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Regular Season Champ (Preseason Prediction)
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Regular Season Champ (Preseason Prediction)
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2025
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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2024
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Rollins (2nd)
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Tampa (2nd)
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Tampa (2nd)
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2023
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Tampa (2nd)
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Rollins (2nd)
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Rollins (2nd)
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2022
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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2021
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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Not Awarded Due to COVID-19
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2020
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Tampa (N/A)
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Not Awarded Due to COVID-19
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Not Awarded Due to COVID-19
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2019
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Tampa (2nd)
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Lynn (3rd)
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Tampa (1st)
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2018
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Tampa (3rd)
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Saint Leo (2nd)
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Tampa (1st)
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2017
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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2016
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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2015
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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2014
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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Tampa (1st)
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