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Kaitlyn Schmidt | krikya18.com | December 11, 2023

Cal wins the 2023 NCAA men's water polo national championship

California vs. UCLA: 2023 NCAA men's water polo championship highlights

For the third straight year, the California Golden Bears are the men's water polo national champions. No. 2 Cal downed No. 1 UCLA 13-11 to claim the 17th national title in program history.

In Sunday's national championship game, Roberto Valera and Max Casabella combined for nine of the Bears' 13 goals. Senior goalie Aidan Weinberg made 12 saves in net on 23 UCLA shots on goal.

Cal finishes its third-straight national championship-winning season with a 24-5 record and wins in six of its last seven games.

The 2023 NC men's water polo championship began with games on Dec. 1 and continued through the national finals Dec. 3 at Uytengsu Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, CA. Below you can find the scores of each game of the 2023 championship

National Championship

Sunday, December 3

No. 2 California 13, No. 1 UCLA 11


First Round 

Friday, Dec. 1:

Semifinals

Saturday, Dec. 2

  • Selections release: Sunday, Nov. 19 on krikya18.com
  • Championship dates: Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 3
    • First round: Friday, Dec. 1 
    • 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 17th national title this year over runner-up, UCLA. Check out the full championship history here, dating back to 1969.

YEAR CHAMPION (RECORD) COACH SCORE RUNNER-UP SITE
2023 California (24-5) Kirk Everist 13-11 UCLA Los Angeles, Calif.
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.
, and . Specializing in basketball, football, field hockey and feature pieces, Schmidt enjoys sharing the human side of sports, as well as the latest trends in the NCAA.

2023 NCAA men's water polo championship selections announced

The 2023 NC men's water polo championship field has been revealed.
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