CWPA Releases 2009 Men's Florida Club Division Schedule

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- The University of Miami, Florida State University, University of Florida "A", University of Central Florida, University of Florida "B" and Florida International University will open the season on September 12-13 at the University of Miami as the 2009 Men's Florida Club Division Schedule was released by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).

Playing two regular season events, including an October 3-4 meeting at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla., and a single game between the University of Florida "A" and "B" teams in Gainesville, the "Citrus Six" will meet at a site to be determined on October 31-November 1 for the division title.

The victor of the tournament will earn the Florida Division's automatic bid to the National Collegiate Club Championship, set for November 13-15 at the University of Florida.  Due to Florida hosting the event, the Gators are guaranteed a berth into the National Championship tournament.  If Florida wins the division championship, the Gators will earn the No. 4 seed for the championship as the squad placed fourth at the 2008 National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of Dayton.  If, however, Florida finishes second or worse in the final division standings, the Gators will assume the No. 16 seed in the 16-team tournament, while the division champion will assume the No. 4 seed.

In the history of the division since its founding in 2002 out of the Southeast Division, the division has only four championships due to the Florida Division reforming with the Southeast Division from 2004 through 2006.

Among the contested titles, Florida has captured three of the four championships as the Gators took the 2002, 2003 and 2008 titles while advancing to all four title tilts.  Florida International, which downed the Gators in 2007 for the division title, is the only other team in the division to win the championship.  FIU, which advanced to the last two title games in 2007 and 2008, and Florida account for two of the four teams to make the championship game as Central Florida (2002) and Florida State (2003) have also played for a berth to the National Collegiate Club Championship.