PROVIDENCE, R.I.  –  NCAA Tournament berths are the storyline for the week as the 2021 BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Championship presented by JEEP starts up in Providence, R.I. on May 6. The semifinals, which start at 5:30 p.m. ET will air on CBS Sports Network with Jason Horowitz on play-by-play and Steve Panarelli as the analyst. No. 1 Denver, squares off against host-school No. 4 Providence in the first semifinal. No. 2 Georgetown, the two-time defending champions, face No. 3 Villanova in the night cap at 8:30 p.m. ET.
 
The winners of the semifinals will face off in the final which will air on CBSSN on Saturday, May 8 at 3 p.m. ET. The BIG EAST Champion will earn the league’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Brent Stover will replace Horowitz in the booth for Saturday’s final.
 
Georgetown has won the last two championships (2018, 2019). The Hoyas are one of four schools to win the BIG EAST Championship title. Only three other schools have done so previously: Syracuse (2012, 2013), Denver (2014, 2015) and Marquette (2016, 2017).
 
The BIG EAST Championship returns to Providence’s Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium for the second time. The last time was in 2017. The men’s lacrosse championship has only ever been held at two other locations: Villanova (2012-15, 2018) and Denver (2016, 2019).
 
The BIG EAST Championship in men’s lacrosse began in 2012. The BIG EAST starting sponsoring men’s lacrosse in 2010.
 
Semifinal 1: No. 1 Denver at No. 4 Providence
5:30 p.m. ET/CBSSN
Live Stats
In The BIG EAST Championship: Denver leads the series, 1-0. Last meeting 2016 Semifinals, Denver won 17-8.
2021 Regular-Season: Denver won both meetings, 23-10 (Feb. 27) and 19-11 (March 27).
 
Thursday is Denver’s seventh straight appearance in the BIG EAST Championship field. The Pioneers share a piece of the league title with Georgetown (9-1) and earned the No. 1 seed for the seventh-straight year. Denver has won two BIG EAST Championship titles: 2014 and 2015 and has been runner-up three times: 2016, 2018 and 2019. The only time Denver has not made the championship game was 2017, the last time the championship was hosted at Providence. Denver is 7-4 in the BIG EAST Championship. Providence is making its fourth appearance in the BIG EAST Championship (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021). The Friars are 1-3 in tournament games. Providence was runner-up in 2017 the last time the Friars hosted. Providence finished tied for fourth in the standings at 3-7.
 
Semifinal 2: No. 2 Georgetown vs. No. 3 Villanova
8:30 p.m. ET/CBSSN
Live Stats
In The BIG EAST Championship: Series is split, 1-1.
2021 Regular-Season: Georgetown won both meetings, 16-1 (Feb. 21) and 8-7 (March 27).
 
Georgetown is the two-time defending BIG EAST Champion, having won the 2018 and 2019 titles. Georgetown has finished runner-up once, 2015. The Hoyas are 5-2 overall in the BIG EAST Championship and 2021 is their fifth appearance in the field. Villanova is 2-9 in the BIG EAST Championship, having finished as runner-up in 2013 and 2014. It is Villanova’s ninth appearance in the tournament field. Villanova and Georgetown have met twice before in the BIG EAST Championship with the Wildcats earning a 15-12 victory in the 2013 semifinals and the Hoyas winning 13-10 in the 2018 semifinals en route to the tournament title.
 
BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by JEEP
Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium ~ Providence, R.I.
 
Semifinals - Thursday, May 6
No. 1 Denver at No. 4 Providence, 5:30 p.m. ^
No. 2 Georgetown vs. No. 3 Villanova, 8:30 p.m. ^
Final – Saturday, May 8
Semifinal Winners, 3 p.m. ^
 
All Times Eastern
^ CBSSN