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- May 21, 2026
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One year removed from missing out on championship weekend, Notre Dame men's lacrosse is one of four teams still standing on Memorial Day Weekend in the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship for the third time in the last four years.
It's a program feat impressive by its own, and one that is highlighted by back-to-back national championship titles in 2023 and 2024.
But with the Fighting Irish set to take on No. 6 seed Syracuse at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, it presents a possibility for graduate student Josh Yago to play in what could be his final collegiate game — just like every single game Notre Dame has played this postseason has.
REQUIRED READING: Why one jersey number means a little more for Notre Dame lacrosse
Sure, that very same statement could be said for every graduating player on the Fighting Irish — or even the Orange — depending on the outcome of Saturday's national semifinal, even if they are expected to continue their playing careers professionally or stay around the game.
However, for Yago, who was taken in the 2026 Premier Lacrosse League Draft by the Philadelphia Waterdogs, his job following the end of the season will be unlike many. He'll be set to return to Colorado Springs to resume his training, where he's a second lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force.
Here's what to know about Yago ahead of the Fighting Irish's national semifinal matchup vs. Syracuse:
Josh Yago is a graduate student attacker at Notre Dame, who is the Fighting Irish's leading points leader at 47 points and second in goals at 29.
He transferred to the Fighting Irish this past offseason from the United States Air Force Academy. In his final season at Air Force, he graduated as an All-ASUN First Team selection and one of the top players in the country. He helped lead the Falcons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 last season — and did so while in the NCAA Transfer Portal, which was a strategic tactic for him to keep playing lacrosse and use a redshirt season to compete this year.
That request — which had to be played outside of the Military Service Academy, just like how the Ivy League does not allow graduate students — was eventually granted at Notre Dame.
MORE: Who's in NCAA men's lacrosse semifinals? Updated bracket, schedule
Yes, Yago is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force, which is a separate and distinct branch of the armed forces but is organized under the Department of the Air Force, according to its website.
Following Notre Dame's 15-9 win over Johns Hopkins in the quarterfinals, Yago confirmed that he has enough remaining military leave for road games left to help the Fighting Irish win a national championship.
"I can confirm. I have enough. I'll be playing championship weekend and then hopefully, on Monday (in the national championship game)," Yago said on ESPN with a smile.
How Yago landed at Notre Dame — and became eligible to play for the Fighting Irish — is an interesting and multi-layered story that included some redlining and obstacle clearances from the Air Force Academy.
As noted by Inside Lacrosse, Yago's graduate school is his first Air Force assignment and duty, an opportunity that was presented to him based on his undergrad grades. His military service requires him to uphold GPA requirements, and lacrosse doesn’t have anything to do with it.
Yago is not allowed to receive any athletic money or NIL compensation at Notre Dame. But he needed to receive to attend Notre Dame — and eventually play — was a certain amount of academic funding from Notre Dame's Mendoza School of Business for Air Force to allow it. That benchmark was met during last year's NCAA Tournament.
"I had to apply to the school on my own. I got in on my own, and I got the money on my own. And it was kind of just like a blessing, in a sense, where everything worked. A lot of pieces had to line up for this to work. And it was kind of nuts looking back. I’m still shocked that it worked because it was definitely a shot in the dark," Yago told Inside Lacrosse.
The next obstacle was to get the clearance from the Air Force to play lacrosse in South Bend. That clearance didn't come until two weeks after meeting with Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan in August of last year, a meeting at which he told Corrigan he didn't think he'd be able to play for the Fighting Irish.
Playing lacrosse at Notre Dame is considered his "free time" from his Air Force assignment and duty. This means he needs to use military leave for road games.
"I was shocked. I was training throughout the summer just in case, because, like, I always kind of knew — it's got to work out, it has to. I had that belief where I was like, it just has to work out. I was going to find a way. And when I got that phone call, I was jumping up and down, 'Oh my God. It’s gonna happen,'" Yago continued to Inside Lacrosse.
Yago was selected with the No. 6 overall pick by the Philadelphia Waterdogs in the Premier Lacrosse League draft. He was one of two Notre Dame players taken in this year's draft, with the other being Will Donovan to the Boston Cannons.
Here's a look at Yago's career stats at the Air Force Academy and Notre Dame:
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Josh Yago? Meeting Notre Dame's U.S. Space Force second lieutenant
Continue reading...
It's a program feat impressive by its own, and one that is highlighted by back-to-back national championship titles in 2023 and 2024.
But with the Fighting Irish set to take on No. 6 seed Syracuse at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, it presents a possibility for graduate student Josh Yago to play in what could be his final collegiate game — just like every single game Notre Dame has played this postseason has.
REQUIRED READING: Why one jersey number means a little more for Notre Dame lacrosse
Sure, that very same statement could be said for every graduating player on the Fighting Irish — or even the Orange — depending on the outcome of Saturday's national semifinal, even if they are expected to continue their playing careers professionally or stay around the game.
However, for Yago, who was taken in the 2026 Premier Lacrosse League Draft by the Philadelphia Waterdogs, his job following the end of the season will be unlike many. He'll be set to return to Colorado Springs to resume his training, where he's a second lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force.
Here's what to know about Yago ahead of the Fighting Irish's national semifinal matchup vs. Syracuse:
Who is Josh Yago?
Josh Yago is a graduate student attacker at Notre Dame, who is the Fighting Irish's leading points leader at 47 points and second in goals at 29.
He transferred to the Fighting Irish this past offseason from the United States Air Force Academy. In his final season at Air Force, he graduated as an All-ASUN First Team selection and one of the top players in the country. He helped lead the Falcons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 last season — and did so while in the NCAA Transfer Portal, which was a strategic tactic for him to keep playing lacrosse and use a redshirt season to compete this year.
That request — which had to be played outside of the Military Service Academy, just like how the Ivy League does not allow graduate students — was eventually granted at Notre Dame.
MORE: Who's in NCAA men's lacrosse semifinals? Updated bracket, schedule
Is Notre Dame's Josh Yago in the U.S. Space Force?
Yes, Yago is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force, which is a separate and distinct branch of the armed forces but is organized under the Department of the Air Force, according to its website.
Following Notre Dame's 15-9 win over Johns Hopkins in the quarterfinals, Yago confirmed that he has enough remaining military leave for road games left to help the Fighting Irish win a national championship.
"I can confirm. I have enough. I'll be playing championship weekend and then hopefully, on Monday (in the national championship game)," Yago said on ESPN with a smile.
Not only is Josh Yago an attackman for Notre Dame, he's also a second lieutenant in the U.S. Space Force
Yago confirms he has enough leave and he'll be playing in championship weekendpic.twitter.com/2In1abKM6I
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) May 16, 2026
How Yago landed at Notre Dame — and became eligible to play for the Fighting Irish — is an interesting and multi-layered story that included some redlining and obstacle clearances from the Air Force Academy.
As noted by Inside Lacrosse, Yago's graduate school is his first Air Force assignment and duty, an opportunity that was presented to him based on his undergrad grades. His military service requires him to uphold GPA requirements, and lacrosse doesn’t have anything to do with it.
Yago is not allowed to receive any athletic money or NIL compensation at Notre Dame. But he needed to receive to attend Notre Dame — and eventually play — was a certain amount of academic funding from Notre Dame's Mendoza School of Business for Air Force to allow it. That benchmark was met during last year's NCAA Tournament.
"I had to apply to the school on my own. I got in on my own, and I got the money on my own. And it was kind of just like a blessing, in a sense, where everything worked. A lot of pieces had to line up for this to work. And it was kind of nuts looking back. I’m still shocked that it worked because it was definitely a shot in the dark," Yago told Inside Lacrosse.
The next obstacle was to get the clearance from the Air Force to play lacrosse in South Bend. That clearance didn't come until two weeks after meeting with Notre Dame coach Kevin Corrigan in August of last year, a meeting at which he told Corrigan he didn't think he'd be able to play for the Fighting Irish.
Playing lacrosse at Notre Dame is considered his "free time" from his Air Force assignment and duty. This means he needs to use military leave for road games.
"I was shocked. I was training throughout the summer just in case, because, like, I always kind of knew — it's got to work out, it has to. I had that belief where I was like, it just has to work out. I was going to find a way. And when I got that phone call, I was jumping up and down, 'Oh my God. It’s gonna happen,'" Yago continued to Inside Lacrosse.
Josh Yago Premier Lacrosse League
Yago was selected with the No. 6 overall pick by the Philadelphia Waterdogs in the Premier Lacrosse League draft. He was one of two Notre Dame players taken in this year's draft, with the other being Will Donovan to the Boston Cannons.
Josh Yago stats
Here's a look at Yago's career stats at the Air Force Academy and Notre Dame:
- 2022: Did Not Play (Injured)
- 2023: 30 points (18 goals and 12 assists) with 16 ground balls
- 2024: 54 points (24 goals and 30 assists) with 35 ground balls
- 2025: 72 points (37 goals and 35 assists) with 27 ground balls
- 2026: 47 points (29 goals and 18 assists) with 31 ground balls
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Josh Yago? Meeting Notre Dame's U.S. Space Force second lieutenant
Continue reading...