The NCAA Division II men’s and women’s lacrosse tournaments will expand to 12 and 16 teams, respectively, beginning in 2019.

The Division II Presidents Council approved Thursday the allocation of nearly $1.3 million to support enhancements to various Division II championships. Expansion of the men’s lacrosse bracket from eight to 12 teams ($118,000 budget impact) and the women’s lacrosse bracket from 12 to 16 teams ($55,000) were included in the approval.

There are 72 Division II men’s lacrosse teams competing in 2018. This marks the first NCAA tournament expansion since it went from four to eight in 2013.

On the women’s side, there are 109 Division II programs.  The NCAA tournament field has quadrupled since 2009. It expanded from four to six teams in 2009 and to eight teams in 2013. The current 12-team bracket began in 2016. Starting this season, the bracket will be divided into four regions (Atlantic, East, Midwest and South) rather than two (North and South), opening bids to teams outside of the traditionally powerful conferences like the East Coast Conference and Northeast-10 while potentially limiting bids therein until expansion takes effect.

“The D-II mentality is all about regionalization, and this vision is important for our future,” LIU Post coach Meghan McNamara said. “Our division is growing.”

Paul Ohanian contributed to this report.