Last Updated 10:10 PM, December 04, 2022

California wins the 2022 NC men's water polo championship

California wins the 2022 NCAA men's water polo championship
11:20
1:14 pm, December 4, 2022

California wins second straight national championship with late surge

California men's water polo celebrates with national championship trophy

The NC men's water polo championship will stay in Berkeley, as the California Golden Bears successfully defended their title in a thrilling 13-12 win over in-state rivals Southern Cal.

After California took a 4-3 lead into the second quarter, the Trojans surged forward, outscoring California 8-4 in the next two periods. Going into the final frame, the Bears were down 11-8. USC added another, and from there it was all California. The Bears scored five unanswered goals in the final five minutes to snatch the victory.

California's Nikolaos Papanikolaou led all players with seven goals, including three in that final surge. Roberto Valera added four goals, including the winner with just 41 seconds remaining. 

For USC, this is the third straight season it has fallen at the final hurdle and the second straight loss to California (and by the same 13-12 scoreline). The Trojans have not won the NC men's water polo national championship since 2018.

Click or tap here to see the 2022 bracket

1:54 pm, December 3, 2022

California, Southern Cal win in semifinals

NC men's water polo semifinals

The NCAA water polo semifinals were contested on Saturday. Defending champions California advanced to the final where it will meet Southern Cal. Here are the final scores from the semifinals:

The national championship will be decided on Sunday. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET and can be streamed on NCAA.com.

Click or tap here to see the 2022 bracket

1:35 pm, December 1, 2022

Results from quarterfinals of the 2022 NC men's water polo championship

Pacific men's water polo

The quarterfinal round of the 2022 NC men's water polo tournament began Thursday with two matches on the schedule. 

Pacific defeated UC Davis to advance to face California in the semifinals on Saturday, while Southern California edged Princeton and will take on UCLA.  

Here are today's results:

Saturday's Semifinal schedule (all times ET): 

 

Click or tap here to see the 2022 bracket

4:10 am, November 21, 2022

2022 NCAA men's water polo championship bracket announced

UCLA men's water polo

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Men’s Water Polo Committee announced today the seven teams vying for the 2022 National Collegiate Men’s Water Polo Championship.

The top two seeds have been placed in the bracket; the remaining five teams will compete for the last two berths in the bracket via three opening-round games. The opening-round games will be contested Nov. 26, hosted by Princeton, and Dec. 1, hosted by California, which also will host the championship Dec. 3 and 4. The semifinals and championship game will be played at the Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley, California. The semifinals will be streamed live on ncaa.com with the national championship game live on ESPNU.

Click or tap here to see the 2022 bracket

In the first opening-round game, Princeton (26-5) will host Fordham (26-7). The winner will advance to the third opening-round game against Southern California (18-6), with the winner advancing to the championship bracket to play UCLA (22-4) at California. In the second opening-round game, Pacific (21-6) will play UC Davis (19-7), with the winner advancing to the championship bracket to play California (21-2).

Game times for the opening-round games are listed on the bracket. Game times for the semifinals are 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Eastern time Dec. 3, and the championship game will be played at 6 p.m. Eastern time Dec. 4. 

Conferences receiving automatic qualification included the Collegiate Water Polo Association, Golden Coast Conference, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, Northeast Water Polo Conference and the Western Water Polo Association. The remaining two teams were selected at-large without geographical restrictions.

In 2021, California defeated Southern California 13-12 to capture its 15th national title. For updated championship results, log on to ncaa.com

3:42 pm, November 17, 2022

Everything you need to know for 2022 selections

NC MWP

The 2022 NC men's water polo selections will be released at approximately midnight ET on Sunday, Nov. 20. You'll find this year's complete field and official bracket right here on NCAA.com. 

When: The 2022 NC men's water polo championship selections will be revealed on Sunday, Nov. 20 in an NCAA.com press release. The release is expected around midnight ET.

Where: The selection release and bracket will be released here on NCAA.com. 

The top two teams qualify directly into the national championship semifinals, while the remaining five teams selected will compete for the last two berths via three opening-round games. 

The championship semifinals and finals will be at Spieker Aquatics Complex in Berkeley, Calif., from Dec. 3-4. The semifinal and national championship rounds will also be streamed live on NCAA.com. 

3:37 pm, November 17, 2022

▶️ Full replay: 2021 championship match

Cal edged USC, 13-12, to win the 2021 men's water polo championship last December. It was a thriller, featuring 10 ties before a game-winning goal from Nikos Delagrammatikas with just 28 seconds remaining.

Watch the full finals replay below.

3:33 pm, November 17, 2022

NC men's water polo championship history

Below is the year-by-year championship history, since the NC men's water polo championship was introduced in 1969. Cal, the most recent champ in 2021, leads all programs with 15 NCAA titles.

YEAR CHAMPION (RECORD) COACH SCORE RUNNER-UP SITE
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.

Note: From 1969 through 1994, the championship was composed of eight teams. Since 1995, the championship has been composed of four teams.