Marleigh Sanders played at Notre Dame, and she thinks the ACC is “the best conference by far” in women’s lacrosse. But the Georgia native was also seeking a fun, new challenge as she wraps up her college career helping build the foundation for Florida State’s program.
“The level of competition that we're going to be playing, especially this spring, is just top notch,” said Sanders, one of four FSU captains. “Being able to start a program and be on the inaugural team is something that is truly so special. This is a rare opportunity to be one of those 38 girls that's starting a program.”
Sanders is among the 24 transfers who arrived from Division I schools and bring more than 400 games of experience. That’s critical as FSU coach Sara Tisdale has built a program from the ground up in 18 months, recruiting veterans and leaders to complement 14 freshmen who joined for the 2026 spring season.
Tisdale launched programs at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan, and that experience made her an ideal choice in the summer of 2024 to move to Tallahassee and help start FSU’s newest program since beach volleyball was established in 2012.
Workers are putting the finishing touches on FSU’s new lacrosse field off Pottsdamer Street ahead of Saturday’s opener against Stetson at 1 p.m. (live stream on ACC Network Extra).
“Our girls are going to be able to tell a story of how this all came together,” Tisdale said. “We're building team 1, we're building this amazing facility. It's just an honor to be a part of all of this.”
Construction crews were busy on Wednesday while Tisdale and players met with the media at midfield. Workers are racing to meet a deadline and have the stands ready for Saturday, while the locker room, clubhouse and coaches’ offices will be completed this summer. Tisdale and the assistants have offices at the Moore Athletic Center for the time until they can move in.
Time flies, but Tisdale laughs when reflecting on the blur the last 18 months have been for her and the coaching staff (she’s hired veteran assistant MacKenzie Plaskey as well as 2025 ACC attacker of the year Rachel Clark). Tisdale wants to make sure the experience is a rewarding one for the players.
“A good-paced run if not a sprint of really just making sure we have the right people in place,” Tisdale said. “My foundation is making sure that we have a leadership corps that is capable of leading this program over the next few months. I can't be the biggest voice in this program. And so my job is to help our leaders feel empowered and get us where we need to go.”
FSU was picked to finish 12th in the 13-team ACC in the preseason rankings. The Seminoles will play host to one of the top ACC teams, Boston College, on Feb. 24 and travel to preseason ACC favorite North Carolina on Feb. 27 in a 16-game regular season that runs through mid-April.
Tisdale has consistently said fans will fall in love with the fast pace and physicality of the sport. The field is similar in length to a football field but wider at 60 yards, and there’s also a 90-second shot clock. Teams use 12 players on the field at a time in a 60-minute game (four 15-minute quarters).
“Everyone is just so excited and can't wait to really touch the field and see the fans,” said Meg Kenny, a Maryland transfer. “I think they're definitely going to be surprised at first, a little bit confused. But seeing the fast pace and the intensity throughout the game is going to be really exciting for them and I think they'll learn more throughout the season."
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