BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California and the University of Redlands remain undisputed leaders in men’s collegiate water polo as the reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and USA Water Polo Division III National Champions, respectively, as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the official 2023 Week 1/September 6 Men’s Varsity National Top 20, Division III Top 10, Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) Top Five and Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Polls.
California, which topped the University of Southern California to claim the 2021 and 2022 NCAA crowns, and Redlands, which captured the 2022 USA Water Polo Division III Collegiate Championship against California Lutheran University, remain on pace to defend their crowns by rating as unanimous No. 1 picks in their respective polls.
The MAWPC Top Five leader changes as defending MAWPC champion Fordham University is replaced by the United States Naval Academy, while defending NWPC champion Princeton University retains a narrow lead in the their league’s Top Five rankings.
Voted on by a panel of coaches, the polls are compiled and released on Wednesday during each week of the season through the week following the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship.
2023 Men’s Varsity National Top 20 (Week 1/September 6)
2021 and 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion the University of California now reigns as a unanimous No. 1 selection in the 2023 Week 1/September 6 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.
California (100 points) – which held 99 points in the preseason voting – widens its lead over the University of Southern California (94 points) by six points to top a national poll which experiences extreme shifts from the preseason balloting.
The University of California-Los Angeles (91 points) remains at No. 3, but the remainder of the Top 10 is shaken up after one weekend of competition.
The University of California-Davis (83 points) and University of the Pacific (79 points) – which stood at No. 5 and 6 seven days ago – move up to No. 4 and 5, respectively while former No. 8 Princeton University (70 points) and No. 4 Stanford University (70 points) rise and fall into a tie at No. 6.
The University of California-Irvine (57 points), Pepperdine University (57 points) and Long Beach State University (57 points) complete the Top 10 in a three-way tie at No. 8.
The University of California-Santa Barbara (48 points) slips out of the Top 10 to No. 11 with the University of California-San Diego (47 points) inching back to No. 12.
The United States Naval Academy (45 points) ascends eight places to No. 12 with Loyola Marymount University (40 points), California Baptist University (32 points), San Jose State University (25 points), Brown University (15 points), Harvard University (15 points) and Santa Clara University (13 points) rating at No. 13-to-19.
Fordham University (7 points) and the United States Air Force Academy (7 points) complete the Top 20 by tying for the final position.
2023 Men’s Varsity Top 20 (Week 1/September 6) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2023 Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of California | 1 | 100 |
| 2 |
University of Southern California | 2 | 94 |
| 3 | University of California-Los Angeles |
3 | 91 |
| 4 | University of California-Davis |
5 | 83 |
| 5 |
University of the Pacific |
6 | 79 |
| 6 (T) |
Princeton University |
8 | 70 |
| 6 (T) | Stanford University |
4 | 70 |
| 8 (T) | University of California-Irvine |
10 | 57 |
| 8 (T) | Pepperdine University | 11 (T) | 57 |
| 8 (T) | Long Beach State University |
9 | 57 |
| 11 |
University of California-Santa Barbara |
7 | 48 |
| 12 |
University of California-San Diego |
11 (T) |
47 |
| 13 |
United States Naval Academy |
20 |
45 |
| 14 |
Loyola Marymount University |
13 | 40 |
| 15 |
California Baptist University |
17 |
32 |
| 16 |
San Jose State University |
14 |
25 |
| 17 |
Brown University |
RV |
22 |
| 18 |
Harvard University |
18 |
15 |
| 19 | Santa Clara University |
16 | 13 |
| 20 (T) |
Fordham University |
15 |
7 |
| 20 (T) | United States Air Force Academy |
19 | 7 |
2023 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1/September 6)
The University of Redlands remains a unanimous No. 1 selection in the 2023 Week 1/September 6 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.
The 2022 USA Water Polo Division III Collegiate Champion, the Bulldogs (100 points) see their lead shrink from 10-points over preseason runner-up Pomona-Pitzer Colleges to six against new No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (94 points).
Pomona-Pitzer (86 points), Chapman University (82 points) and California Lutheran University (80 points) take over at No. 3-to-5, respectively, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (79 points) and Occidental College (72 points) shattering a tie at No. 6 to now rate at No. 6 and 7.
Johns Hopkins University (67 points), Augustana College (57 points) and Whittier College (24 points) complete the Division III Top 10.
2023 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 1/September 6) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2023 Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of Redlands |
1 | 100 |
| 2 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges |
3 | 94 |
| 3 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges |
2 | 86 |
| 4 | Chapman University | 5 | 82 |
| 5 |
California Lutheran University |
4 |
80 |
| 6 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
6 (T) | 79 |
| 7 | Occidental College |
6 (T) |
72 |
| 8 | Johns Hopkins University |
8 | 67 |
| 9 | Augustana College |
10 | 57 |
| 10 | Whittier College |
9 | 24 |
| RV | Austin College |
RV | 23 |
| RV | University of La Verne |
RV | 11 |
2023 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 6)
The United States Naval Academy assumes command of the 2023 Week 1/September 6 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Top Five Poll from Fordham University.
The Midshipmen (100 points) stand as a unanimous top pick and achieve a seven-point lead over defending MAWPC Champion/preseason favorite Fordham (93 points).
George Washington University (89 points) – which was tied with Navy at No. 2 in the preseason voting – drops back to No. 3 with 2022 MAWPC Championship runner-up Bucknell University (87 points) and newcomer Wagner College (65 points) complete the Top Five.
2023 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 6) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2023 Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | United States Naval Academy |
2 (T) |
100 |
| 2 |
Fordham University |
1 | 93 |
| 3 | George Washington University |
2 (T) | 89 |
| 4 | Bucknell University | 4 | 87 |
| 5 | Wagner College |
RV | 65 |
| RV | Johns Hopkins University |
5 | 16 |
2023 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 6)
Two-time defending Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) champion Princeton University remains No. 1 through seven days of the 2023 season as the squad leads the 2023 Week 1/September 6 NWPC Top Five Poll.
The 2018, 2021 and 2022 NWPC Champion Tigers (98 points) change from a unanimous No. 1 preseason selection to holding a two-point margin versus new runner-up Brown University (96 points).
Three-time (2016, 2017, 2019) NWPC Champion Harvard University (91 points) slides to No. 3 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (84 points) and Iona University (81 points) retaining the final positions in the Top Five.
2023 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 1/September 6) |
|||
| Rank | Team | 2023 Preseason Poll | Points |
| 1 | Princeton University | 1 | 98 |
| 2 |
Brown University |
3 | 96 |
| 3 | Harvard University |
2 | 91 |
| 4 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
4 |
84 |
| 5 | Iona University |
5 | 81 |
