BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California-Los Angeles and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges continue to reign at No 1 in the National Top 20 and Division III Top 10 rankings, respectively, as the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the official 2025 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 for Week 4/September 24.
The defending National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion, UCLA remains the unanimous pick at No. 1 in the nation, while CMS holds off Pomona-Pitzer Colleges to maintain its position as the lead team in the Division III ranks.
Defending MAWPC champion Fordham University and defending NWPC champion Princeton University retain their status in their leagues’ 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.
2025 Men’s Varsity National Top 20 (Week 4/September 24)
2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion the University of California-Los Angeles marches on as the Bruins retain their status as a unanimous top selection in the Week 4/September 24 2025 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.
UCLA (100 points) leads a Top 10 which experiences significant shifts following the previous seven days of intercollegiate competition.
The University of California (95 points) – which finished as the runner-up to UCLA at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF)/Overnght Invitational over the weekend – supplants the University of Southern California (90 points) at No. 2 as the Golden Bears and Trojans exchange the No. 2 and 3 spots this week.
Stanford University (84 points) hangs on at No. 4, while Fordham University (78 points) acquires company at No. 5 from San Jose State University (78 points).
The University of California-San Diego (68 points) and the University of California-Davis (64 points) break into the Top 10 at No. 7 and 8, respectively, with Long Beach State University (58 points) and University of the Pacific (55 points) dropping back to No. 9 and 10.
Pepperdine University (51 points) and Loyola Marymount University (45 points) improve to No. 11 and 12 with Princeton University (43 points) sliding back to No. 13.
California Baptist University (37 points) rises to No. 14, the University of California-Irvine (30 points) falls back to No. 15 prior to Santa Clara University (26 points) attaining the No. 16 spot.
The University of California-Santa Barbara (20 points), Brown University (12 points) and George Washington University (10 points) continue at No. 17-to-19 with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (6 points) wrapping up the Week 4 Top 20.
2025 Men’s Varsity Top 20 (Week 4/September 24) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 3 Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles |
1 | 100 |
| 2 |
University of California |
3 | 95 |
| 3 | University of Southern California | 2 | 90 |
| 4 | Stanford University | 4 | 84 |
| 5 (T) | Fordham University | 5 | 78 |
| 5 (T) | San Jose State University | 6 | 78 |
| 7 | University of California-San Diego | 14 | 68 |
| 8 | University of California-Davis | 11 | 64 |
| 9 | Long Beach State University | 7 | 58 |
| 10 | University of the Pacific | 9 (T) | 55 |
| 11 | Pepperdine University | 12 | 51 |
| 12 |
Loyola Marymount University | 13 | 45 |
| 13 |
Princeton University | 9 (T) | 43 |
| 14 | California Baptist University | 16 | 37 |
| 15 | University of California-Irvine | 8 | 30 |
| 16 | Santa Clara University | 15 | 26 |
| 17 | University of California-Santa Barbara | 17 | 20 |
| 18 | Brown University | 18 | 12 |
| 19 | George Washington University | 19 | 10 |
| 20 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | RV | 6 |
| RV | United States Naval Academy | RV | 4 |
| RV | Bucknell University | NR | 1 |
| RV | Concordia University | 20 | 1 |
2025 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 4/September 24)
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges stays at No. 1 in the Week 4/September 24 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.
The Stags (98 points) – which dislodged Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (96 points) from the top spot last week – expand their lead to two points compared to the Sagehens following a 98-to-97 margin seven days ago.
The biggest mover of the week is Johns Hopkins University (90 points) as the Blue Jays flutter four spots from No. 7 to No. 3. Chapman University (82 points) and California Lutheran University (86 points) rate at No. 4 and 5 while the quartet of 2024 USA Water Polo Division III Champion the University of Redlands (62 points), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (62 points), the University of La Verne (62 points) and Augustana College (62 points) rearrange into a four-way tie at No. 6.
Whittier College (57 points),completes the Week 4 Division III Top 10.
2025 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 4/September 24) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 3 Poll | Points |
| 1 |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | 1 | 98 |
| 2 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 2 | 96 |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins University | 7 | 90 |
| 4 | Chapman University | 4 | 82 |
| 5 | California Lutheran University | 3 | 80 |
| 6 (T) | University of Redlands | 5 | 62 |
| 6 (T) | Augustana College | 10 | 62 |
| 6 (T) | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 8 | 62 |
| 6 (T) | University of La Verne | 9 | 62 |
| 10 |
Whittier College | 6 | 57 |
| RV |
Occidental College | RV | 25 |
2025 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 4/September 24)
Four-time (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Champion Fordham University continues at No. 1 in the Week 4/September 24 MAWPC Top Five Poll.
A unanimous No. 1 selection, the Rams (100 points) hold a seven-point margin compared to runner-up George Washington University (93 points) and a 10-point spread compared to the United States Naval Academy (90 points).
Bucknell University (86 points) and Wagner College (80 points) remain at No 4 and 5.
2025 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 4/September 24) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 3 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Fordham University |
1 |
100 |
| 2 | George Washington University | 2 | 93 |
| 3 | United States Naval Academy | 3 | 90 |
| 4 |
Bucknell University | 4 | 86 |
| 5 | Wagner College | 5 | 80 |
2025 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 4/September 24)
Five-time Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) champion Princeton University maintains its status at No. 1 in the Week 4/September 24 NWPC Top Five Poll.
The 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 NWPC Champion Tigers (100 points) rate as a unanimous No. 1 selection with Brown University (95 points) and three-time (2016, 2017, 2019) NWPC Champion Harvard University (90 points) staying at No. 2 and 3.
Iona University (84 points) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (81 points) round out the Top Five.
2025 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 4/September 24) |
|||
| Rank | Team | Week 3 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Princeton University | 1 | 100 |
| 2 |
Brown University |
2 |
95 |
| 3 | Harvard University |
3 | 90 |
| 4 | Iona University |
4 | 84 |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
5 | 81 |
