INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the third consecutive year, Towson University has been selected to serve as the host institution for the NCAA® Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship, it has been announced by the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee.

The 2010 Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship will take place at Johnny Unitas® Stadium on May 28 and 30.

“We are honored to be selected to host the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship,” Towson Director of Athletics Mike Hermann said. “We had not originally submitted a bid for the championship, but upon the request of the NCAA, we felt we could host the championship one more year prior to our expected construction for a new arena.

“It is always our plan to make the next championship experience better than the last,” Hermann added. “The 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship would be no different.”

“The Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee is thrilled to award the 2010 championship to Towson University,” Ryan Bamford, the chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee and Senior Associate Athletics Director at Yale University, said. “This event has set attendance records in each of the last four years and we feel strongly that our growth will continue at Towson in 2010.”

In addition to Towson hosting the championship for the third straight year, it will mark the 12th time the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship has taken place in the State of Maryland. The University of Maryland hosted the event four times while Johns Hopkins University served as the host in 1999 and 2001. UMBC, Loyola College and the U.S. Naval Academy have also hosted the Division I championship.

The 2009 NCAA® Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship broke several attendance records as 14,064 fans attended the weekend’s three games. The semifinals drew 7,549 fans to Unitas Stadium, which marked the highest paid attendance for a women’s lacrosse game in United States women’s lacrosse history. In addition, the crowd of 6,515 fans which attended the championship game was the second-highest crowd in NCAA women’s lacrosse history. 

“Towson University was absolutely thrilled with the success of the 2009 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship,” Towson Senior Associate Director of Athletics Nance Reed said. “In many regards, we had the perfect situation – a great venue, four great teams, including the defending NCAA champion, and wonderful weather. Breaking all of the attendance records was an added bonus for the event.”

In addition, the NCAA® Men’s Lacrosse Championships will take place at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore during the same weekend, marking the first time in NCAA history that both championships will be held in the same vicinity.