NCAA spring sports championship season rolls into the weekend

The GIST: Keep those Gatorade baths coming because championship season is still rolling. The lax titles will take weeks to decide, but women’s water polo? They’re ready to anoint their new queens now. Hold onto your swim caps!

🤽 Women’s water polo: This tourney technically began with Biola’s 10–8 play-in victory over LIU on Wednesday, but the real action starts with today’s quarter-finals. Dominant No. 1 seed Stanford, No. 2 USC, No. 3 Cal, and No. 4 UCLA are expected to easily advance to tomorrow’s semis, barring a truly shocking upset.

• The four Pac-12 powerhouses are pretty evenly matched, so what happens from there is anyone’s guess. Try to stay up late for Sunday’s 10 p.m. ET final on ESPN+ — even underwater, it’s bound to be a scorcher.

🥍 Men’s lacrosse: The second round of this natty runs tomorrow and Sunday, when No. 1 Duke awaits the winner of Wednesday’s play-in-style first round, Delaware. Only half of the 16 teams will survive into next weekend’s quarter-finals. As for the trophy? It won’t be hoisted until Memorial Day.

🥍 Women’s lacrosse: No “play-in” around here — all 29 tourney teams will be in action in this weekend’s first and second rounds. The battles begin today at 1 p.m. ET, and only eight quarter-final contenders will remain by Sunday night to take aim at the May 28th final.

• Reigning champ UNC topped the polls for weeks, but a mid-season slide and an ACC tournament loss landed them at the No. 4 seed. Who’s the new top dog? A Wildcat: No. 1 Northwestern are chasing their first natty since 2012.