ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — USA Water Polo announced Augustana College will host the 2023 USA Water Polo Division III Collegiate Championship at the the Anne Greve Lund Natatorium on Saturday-Sunday, December 2-3.
“We are very excited to return to Augustana this December for the men’s championship after a wonderful experience last spring for the women’s tournament. A big thank you to our partners at Augustana College and Visit Quad Cities in collaboration with the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches for helping to make this happen. By setting this date now, the planning can begin immediately to make sure this event is truly world class. It also gives all the Division III teams a confirmed destination for their championship dreams.” Katie Wieber, USA Water Polo Director of Events.
The two-day tournament will feature four teams competing for a national title, including two from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), one from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) East, and the champion of the Division III Eastern Championship. The semifinals will take place on Saturday, December 2, with the third-place contest and championship game held the following day.
“Augustana Athletics is honored to be selected to host the USA Water Polo Division III men’s championship in December,” said Augustana Director of Athletics Mike Zapolski. “I look forward to partnering with the staff at Visit Quad Cities and USA Water Polo to host a memorable championship experience for the four participating programs.”
Visit Quad Cities will be an official partner of the two-day event and will plan to provide hotels and a banquet during the evening of Friday, September 1, for the participating teams.
“We are thrilled to work alongside our partners at Augustana College and host the USA Water Polo Division III Championship,” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO of Visit Quad Cities. “The Lindberg Center’s Anne Greve Lund Natatorium is a state-of-the-art venue, and we look forward to hosting the student-athletes, administrators, and fans in the Quad Cities regional destination. Hosting this championship event continues to diversify our portfolio of sporting events and is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Augustana College.”
The event will mark the second USA Water Polo Division III Championship contested outside of California and hosted by Augustana as the 2023 women’s event in May was also in Rock Island.
All four games will be live streamed via the Viking Sports Network on YouTube. Live stats will also be available for each contest.
Release courtesy Augustana College Athletics Communications
