The 2023 NC men's water polo championship begins with selections on Nov. 19 and continues through the national finals Dec. 1-3 at Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, CA. Below you can find the teams who made the field and first-round matchups.
Friday, Dec. 1:
- No. 1 UCLA vs. Biola, 3 p.m. ET
- No. 4 Princeton vs. UC Irvine, 5 p.m. ET
- No. 2 California vs. Fordham, 7 p.m. ET
- No. 3 Southern Cal vs. San Jose State, 9 p.m. ET
Here is the full schedule for the 2023 NC men's water polo championship (all times ET):
- Selections release: Sunday, Nov. 19Â on ncaa.com
- Championship dates: Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 3
- First round: Friday, Dec. 1Â
- Second round: Saturday, Dec. 2
- Championship: Sunday, Dec. 3 | 6 p.m. | ESPNU
While the championship is normally a nine-team, single elimination tournament, with seven conference bids and two at-large selections, the Southern California Athletic Conference declined its automatic qualification for 2023. Thus, the 2023 championship will be comprised of eight teams that qualify directly, instead of having an opening round game to determine the final championship berth. The NCAA Men's Water Polo Committee makes its selections and seeds based on team record, strength of schedule, eligibility and availability of student-athletes for NCAA championships and more.
The following conferences are granted automatic qualification to the 2023 championship:
- Big West Conference
- Collegiate Water Polo Association
- Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
- Northeast Water Polo Conference
- Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference*
- West Coast Conference
- Western Water Polo Association
*=declined 2023 automatic qualification
2023 NCAA men's water polo bracket
Find the interactive bracket here
California won its 16th national title last year over runner-up, Southern California. Check out the full championship history here, dating back to 1969.
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | California (23-2) | Kirk Everist | 13-12 | Southern California | Berkeley, Calif. |
| 2021 | California (22-4) | Kirk Everist | 13-12 | Southern California | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 2020 | UCLA (9-7) | Adam Wright | 7-6 | Southern California | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 2019 | Stanford (21-2) | John Vargas | 13-8 | Pacific | Stockton, Calif. |
| 2018 | Southern California (29-3) | Jovan Vavic | 14-12 | Stanford | Palo Alto, Calif. |
| 2017 | UCLA (21-4) | Adam Wright | 7-5 | Southern California | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 2016 | California (22-4) | Kirk Everist | 11-8 (ot) | Southern California | Berkeley, Calif. |
| 2015 | UCLA (30-0) | Adam Wright | 10-7 | Southern California | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 2014 | UCLA (29-3) | Adam Wright | 9-8 | Southern California | La Jolla, Calif. |
| 2013 | Southern California (28-4) | Jovan Vavic | 12-11 (2ot) | Pacific | Palo Alto, Calif. |
| 2012 | Southern California (29-0) | Jovan Vavic | 11-10 | UCLA | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 2011 | Southern California (24-3) | Jovan Vavic | 7-4 | UCLA | California |
| 2010 | Southern California (28-2) | Jovan Vavic | 12-10 (2ot) | California | California |
| 2009 | Southern California (26-2) | Jovan Vavic | 7-6 | UCLA | Princeton |
| 2008 | Southern California (29-0) | Jovan Vavic | 7-5 | Stanford | Stanford |
| 2007 | California (28-4) | Kirk Everist | 8-6 | Southern California | Stanford |
| 2006 | California (31-4) | Kirk Everist | 7-6 | Southern California | Loyola Marymount |
| 2005 | Southern California (26-1) | Jovan Vavic | 3-2 | Stanford | Bucknell |
| 2004 | UCLA (25-3) | Adam Krikorian | 10-9 (ot) | Stanford | Stanford |
| 2003 | Southern California (24-3) | Jovan Vavic | 9-7(ot) | Stanford | Stanford |
| 2002 | Stanford (24-5) | John Vargas | 7-6 | California | Loyola Marymount |
| 2001 | Stanford (22-1) | Dante Dettamanti | 8-5 | UCLA | Stanford |
| 2000 | UCLA (19-7) | Guy Baker/Adam Krikorian | 11-2 | UC San Diego | Malibu, Calif. |
| 1999 | UCLA (22-3) | Guy Baker/Adam Krikorian | 6-5 | Stanford | La Jolla, Calif. |
| 1998 | Southern California (25-3) | John Williams/Jovan Vavic | 9-8 (2ot) | Stanford | Newport Beach, Calif. |
| 1997 | Pepperdine (25-3) | Terry Schoroeder | 8-7 (2ot) | Southern California | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| 1996 | UCLA (24-6) | Guy Baker | 8-7 | Southern California | UC San Diego |
| 1995 | UCLA (20-6) | Guy Baker | 10-8 | California | Stanford |
| 1994 | Stanford (27-1) | Dante Dettamanti | 14-10 | Southern California | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1993 | Stanford (24-6) | Dante Dettamanti | 11-9 | Southern California | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1992 | California (31-0) | Steve Heaston | 12-11 (3ot) | Stanford | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1991 | California (26-1) | Steve Heaston | 7-6 | UCLA | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1990 | California (29-1) | Steve Heaston | 8-7 | Stanford | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1989 | UC Irvine (27-6) | Ted Newland | 9-8 | California | Indianapolis |
| 1988 | California (33-3) | Pete Cutino | 14-11 | UCLA | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1987 | California (27-3) | Pete Cutino | 9-8 (ot) | Southern California | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1986 | Stanford (36-0) | Dante Dettamanti | 9-6 | California | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1985 | Stanford (25-4) | Dante Dettamanti | 12-11 (2ot) | UC Irvine | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1984 | California (26-4-1) | Pete Cutino | 9-8 | Stanford | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1983 | California (29-3-2) | Pete Cutino | 10-7 | Southern California | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1982 | UC Irvine (30-0) | Ted Newland | 7-4 | Stanford | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1981 | Stanford (31-0) | Dante Dettamanti | 17-6 | Long Beach State | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1980 | Stanford (28-2-1) | Dante Dettamanti | 8-6 | California | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1979 | UC Santa Barbara (27-2-1) | Pete Snyder | 11-3 | UCLA | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1978 | Stanford (26-1-1) | Dante Dettamanti | 7-6 (3ot) | California | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1977 | California (29-3) | Pete Cutino | 9-6 | UC Irvine | Brown |
| 1976 | Stanford (20-2) | Art Lambert | 13-12 | UCLA | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1975 | California (22-6) | Pete Cutino | 9-8 | UC Irvine | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1974 | California (25-2) | Pete Cutino | 7-6 | UC Irvine | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1973 | California (25-1) | Pete Cutino | 8-4 | UC Irvine | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1972 | UCLA (19-1) | Bob Horn | 10-5 | UC Irvine | New Mexico |
| 1971 | UCLA (18-1) | Bob Horn | 5-3 | San Jose State | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1970 | UC Irvine (27-2) | Ted Newland | 7-6 (3ot) | UCLA | Long Beach, Calif. |
| 1969 | UCLA (19-0) | Bob Horn | 5-2 | California | Long Beach, Calif. |
