Florida State University (FSU) is set to launch a brand new women’s lacrosse program as a varsity sport and join the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for its first full season in 2026, with head coach Sara Tisdale leading the program.
For a long time, Seminoles have had men’s and women’s lacrosse club teams. While men’s lacrosse remains a club sport, the women’s team will move to varsity status in the ACC.
The decision to add this new varsity sport grew out of the women’s club team’s success and momentum on campus. The club players have always shown passion and resilience and the new varsity athletes are no different.
“What we decided to do last year was, even though last year was a non-competition year for us, we welcomed five transfers in, out of the midyear portal,” Tisdale said. “And so we had five student-athletes here from January through [May].”
Alongside the five mid-year transfers, there are 14 other transfers and 14 high school recruits, completing the roster of 33 athletes for the 2026 season.
The players aren’t the only strength of this new team, as Tisdale has 12 years of coaching experience and has helped build three women’s lacrosse programs. Now, she’s set to lead the newest sport representing FSU.
“This has definitely been, you know, a school that everybody knows about, and when they decided to add women’s lacrosse here at Florida State, I think this was a job that a lot of people would consider to be their dream job,” Tisdale said. “And I’m absolutely one of those people.”
While Tisdale was coaching at Central Michigan University, she hired MacKenzie Plaskey as her assistant. Now, they’re coming together again as Plaskey takes on the role of associate head coach.
Before joining the ’Noles, Plaskey coached at Grand Valley State for six seasons, sweeping four consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) regular-season and tournament championships from 2021-2024.
Assistant coach Rachel Clark brings high-level lacrosse experience as a former Team USA player and a winner of ACC and national championships. Clark played for Boston College and the University of Virginia and was named the 2025 ACC Attacker of the Year.
These three coaches all have extensive experience on the lacrosse field, but it won’t be easy for this team to transition to the ACC. The Garnet & Gold will face North Carolina, Boston College and Stanford. These are three powers in the ACC, with North Carolina going 22-0 last season and Boston College going 19-3.
Before the official start of the season, the women’s lacrosse team will play five teams across the South. These teams include Kennesaw State on Sept. 21, Saint Leo on Sept. 27, the University of Tampa, the University of South Florida the weekend of Oct. 11 and the University of Florida on Oct. 25.
“This is their 11th season,” Tisdale said of the University of Florida. “They made it to the final four this year. No doubt they are a team that we’re going to respect and take seriously.”
For fans new to the sport, women’s lacrosse differs significantly from men’s. Players typically don’t wear helmets or heavy padding, except goalies. This is because their sticks are designed with a much shallower pocket, meaning the ball sits closer to the surface and must always be visible above the walls of their head.
The rules of women’s lacrosse can be confusing at first, but fans may notice similarities to sports they already know.
“I think if fans were to think about sports they’re probably familiar with, if they were to think about basketball, our in-zone plays, so when we have the ball or when we’re playing defense, it’s very similar to what you see in basketball,” Tisdale said. “I think in transition, you see a lot of similar plays you see in soccer.”
With these two sports in mind, fans may better understand the rules and plays happening on a women’s lacrosse field, taking in the sport and supporting Florida State’s newest varsity team.
This article originally appeared on FSU News: Seminoles set to debut new women’s lacrosse program for 2026 season
Reporting by Caitlin Doherty / FSU News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
