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:
- No. 1 UCLA 20, Biola 7
- No. 4 Princeton 12, UC Irvine 7
- No. 2 California 16, Fordham 6
- No. 3 Southern Cal 18, San Jose State 10
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. |
