The pinnacle of American water polo is set to unfold this weekend as California strives to clinch a third consecutive title at the NCAA finals.
The Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, the revered home of the Southern Californian Trojans, will be the battleground where eight teams vie for supremacy, with Cal Bears facing a determined challenge from the Trojan contenders in their pursuit of a national title after a five-year hiatus.
The three-day finals spectacle promises riveting matches, yet for European audiences eager to witness the 53rd annual NCAA water polo finals, it will be a late-night affair.
Among the contenders, California stands out as the most successful college in the competition, while UCLA claims the top seed for the event. Notably absent from the lineup are the 11-time champions Stanford, overshadowed by formidable opponents such as Northeast Water Polo Conference champions Princeton, Big West titans UC Irvine—returning to the grand finals after a 30-year hiatus—and Western Conference victors San Jose.
Adding an element of novelty to the competition, Biola and Fordham emerge as the newcomers to the NCAA quarter-finals, marking a historic moment in their respective program histories.
Quarter-finals
You can follow all the action via Total Waterpolo’s dedicated NCAA Livescore page
Previous champions
2022: California
2021: California
2020: UCLA
2019: Stanford
2018: USC
2017: UCLA
2016: California
2015: UCLA
2014: UCLA
2013: USC
2012: USC
2011: USC
2010: USC
2009: USC
2008: USC
2007: California
2006: California
2005: USC
2004: UCLA
2003: USC
2002: Stanford
2001: Stanford
2000: UCLA
1999: UCLA
1998: USC
1997: Pepperdine
1996: UCLA
1995: UCLA
1994: Stanford
1993: Stanford
1992: California
1991: California
1990: California
1989: UC Irvine
1988: California
1987: California
1986: Stanford
1985: Stanford
1984: California
1983: California
1982: UC Irvine
1981: Stanford
1980: Stanford
1979: UC Santa Barbara
1978: Stanford
1977: California
1976: Stanford
1975: California
1974: California
1973: California
1972: UCLA
1971: UCLA
1970: UC Irvine
1969: UCLA
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