BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The University of California-Los Angeles and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges continue 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 6/October 8.
The defending National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion, UCLA remains the unanimous pick at No. 1 in the nation, while CMS receives all the No. 1 votes to retain its position as the lead team in the Division III ranks.
Defending MAWPC champion Fordham University remains at No. 1 in the MAWPC Top Five, while Harvard University supplants defending NWPC champion Princeton University for top spot in the NWPC Top Five.
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 6/October 8)
2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Champion the University of California-Los Angeles rolls on as the Bruins remain a unanimous top selection in the Week 6/October 8 2025 National Men’s Varsity Top 20 Poll.
The Top Five remains unchanged as UCLA (100 points), the University of California (95 points), the University of Southern California (90 points), Stanford University (85 points) and Fordham University (82 points) preserve their prior positions.
The University of California-San Diego (74 points) and San Jose State University (68 points) exchange the No. 6 and 7 slots, while Pepperdine University (65 points) rises to No. 8 with the University of California-Davis (60 points) settling back to No. 9.
Long Beach State University (52 points) – which was No. 9 seven days ago – slides into a tie with an ascending Loyola Marymount University (52 points) squad at No. 10.
The University of California-Santa Barbara (46 points) improves four positions to take over at No. 12 with Santa Clara University (34 points) and Princeton University (34 points) rising and falling, respectively, into a tie at No. 13.
California Baptist University (31 points) moves to No. 15, while Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (25 points) scales the Top 20 to take over at No. 16.
Harvard University (20 points) cracks the rankings at No. 17 after not receiving a vote last week, University of the Pacific (17 points) resets at No. 18 with the University of California-Irvine (12 points) and George Washington University (8 points) completing the Top 20 by achieving the final two spots.
2025 Men’s Varsity Top 20 (Week 6/October 8) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 5 Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles |
1 | 100 |
| 2 |
University of California |
2 | 95 |
| 3 | University of Southern California | 3 | 90 |
| 4 | Stanford University | 4 | 85 |
| 5 | Fordham University | 5 | 82 |
| 6 | University of California-San Diego | 7 | 74 |
| 7 | San Jose State University | 6 | 68 |
| 8 | Pepperdine University | 10 | 65 |
| 9 | University of California-Davis | 8 | 60 |
| 10 (T) | Long Beach State University | 9 | 52 |
| 10 (T) | Loyola Marymount University | 11 | 52 |
| 12 |
University of California-Santa Barbara | 16 | 46 |
| 13 (T) | Princeton University | 12 | 34 |
| 13 (T) | Santa Clara University | 15 | 34 |
| 15 | California Baptist University | 13 (T) | 31 |
| 16 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | 19 (T) | 25 |
| 17 | Harvard University | NR | 20 |
| 18 | University of the Pacific | 17 | 17 |
| 19 | University of California-Irvine | 13 (T) | 12 |
| 20 | George Washington University | 19 (T) | 8 |
| RV | Brown University | 18 | 1 |
| RV | California State University-Fullerton | NR | 1 |
| RV | Concordia University | NR | 1 |
| RV | Iona University | NR | 1 |
2025 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 6/October 8)
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges stays at No. 1 in the Week 6/October 8 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 Poll.
The first three positions in the Top 10 experience no significant changes as CMS (100 points) becomes a unanimous top selection with Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (95 points) and Johns Hopkins University (90 points) sticking at No. 2 and 3 for another seven-day run.
The University of Redlands (81 points) jumps to No. 4 thanks to a 17-15 overtime win against formerly No. 4/now No. 5 Chapman University (77 points).
California Lutheran University (75 points) stays at No. 6, Whittier College (74 points) comes in at No. 7, Augustana College (67 points) and the University of La Verne (57 points) inch up to No. 8 and 9 prior to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (48 points) completing the Top 10.
2025 Men’s Varsity Division III Top 10 (Week 6/October 8) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 5 Poll | Points |
| 1 |
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges | 1 | 100 |
| 2 | Pomona-Pitzer Colleges | 2 | 95 |
| 3 | Johns Hopkins University | 3 | 90 |
| 4 | University of Redlands | 7 | 81 |
| 5 | Chapman University | 4 | 77 |
| 6 | California Lutheran University | 6 | 75 |
| 7 | Whittier College | 5 | 74 |
| 8 | Augustana College | 9 | 67 |
| 9 | University of La Verne | 10 | 57 |
| 10 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 8 | 48 |
| RV |
Occidental College | RV | 11 |
2025 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 6/October 8)
Four-time (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Champion Fordham University continues at No. 1 in the Week 6/October 8 MAWPC Top Five Poll.
A unanimous No. 1 selection, the Rams (100 points) hold a six-point margin compared to runner-up George Washington University (94 points) and an 11-point spread compared to the United States Naval Academy (89 points).
Bucknell University (85 points) and Wagner College (82 points) remain at No 4 and 5.
2025 Men’s Varsity Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 6/October 8) |
|||
| Rank | Team | Week 5 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Fordham University |
1 |
100 |
| 2 | George Washington University | 2 | 94 |
| 3 | United States Naval Academy | 3 | 89 |
| 4 |
Bucknell University | 4 | 85 |
| 5 | Wagner College | 5 | 82 |
| RV | Mount St. Mary’s University | NR | 16 |
2025 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 6/October 8)
Status as the best team in the Northeast Water Polo Conference (NWPC) changes hands this week as three-time (2016, 2017, 2019) NWPC Champion Harvard University takes over at No. 1 in the Week 6/October 8 NWPC Top Five Poll.
Harvard (100 points) dislodges five-time (2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) NWPC champion Princeton University (96 points) from the lead position courtesy a 13-12 road victory over the weekend.
Iona University (89 points) – which clipped Brown University (87 points) by a 13-11 score over the weekend – climbs up to No. 3 with the Bears backing up to No. 4.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (80 points) remains at No. 5 for another week.
2025 Men’s Varsity Northeast Water Polo Conference Top 5 (Week 6/October 8) |
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| Rank | Team | Week 5 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Harvard University | 3 | 100 |
| 2 |
Princeton University |
1 | 96 |
| 3 | Iona University |
4 | 89 |
| 4 | Brown University |
2 | 87 |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
5 | 80 |
