BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — The Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) releases the 2026 Men’s Collegiate Club Top 20 and Division III Top 10 Preseason Polls.
Released each week during the season, the Top 20 and Division III Top 10 polls have no bearing on qualifiers for the National Collegiate Club Championship.
2026 Men’s Collegiate Club National Top 20 (Preseason)
2025 Men’s National Collegiate Club Champion California Polytechnic State University will start the 2026 season where it concluded the last one – at No. 1 in the nation – as the Mustangs are a unanimous top choice in the 2026 Men’s Collegiate Club National Top 20 Preseason Poll.
The reigning Pacific Coast Division Mustangs knocked off Southwest Division Champion the University of California-San Diego (95 points) by a 9-8 score at the Carlisle Family YMCA Aquatic Center in Carlisle, Pa., on Sunday, November 9, to capture the National Championship.
The Top 20 is unchanged from the Week 13/Final Men’s Collegiate Club Top 20 Poll from last season as UC-San Diego, Texas Division Champion Texas A&M University (90 points), Southeast Division Champion the University of Alabama (83 points), Sierra Pacific Division Champion California State University-Chico (81 points), Sierra Pacific Division runner-up the University of California (76 points), Pacific Coast Division Championship runner-up the University of Southern California (70 points), Pacific Coast Division Championship third place finisher the University of California-Santa Barbara (65 points), Southwest Division Championship runner-up the University of California-Irvine (60 points) and Southwest Division Championship third place finisher San Diego State University (55 points) complete the Top 10.
Rocky Mountain Division Champion the University of Colorado (45 points), Sierra Pacific Division Championship third place finisher the University of California-Davis (40 points), Atlantic Division Champion Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (32 points) remain at No. 11-to-13 with Florida Division Champion the University of Florida (32 points) and New England Division Champion Dartmouth College (32 points) tying at No. 14.
Big Ten Division Champion the University of Michigan (25 points), Big Ten Division Championship runner-up Michigan State University (20 points), Northwest Division Champion the University of Washington (13 points), Great Lakes Division Champion the University of Notre Dame (12 points) and Pacific Coast Division Championship fifth place finisher the University of California-Los Angeles (10 points) conclude the Top 20.
2026 Men’s Collegiate Club Top 20 (Preseason) |
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| Rank | Team | Final 2025 Poll |
Points |
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University | 1 (T) | 100 |
| 2 | University of California-San Diego | 1 (T) | 95 |
| 3 | Texas A&M University | 12 | 90 |
| 4 |
University of Alabama | RV | 83 |
| 5 | California State University-Chico | 1 (T) | 81 |
| 6 | University of California | 4 | 76 |
| 7 | University of Southern California | 5 | 70 |
| 8 |
University of California-Santa Barbara | 6 | 65 |
| 9 | University of California-Irvine | 7 | 60 |
| 10 | San Diego State University | 9 | 55 |
| 11 | University of Colorado | 19 (T) | 45 |
| 12 |
University of California-Davis | 10 | 40 |
| 13 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | NR | 33 |
| 14 (T) | University of Florida | 11 | 32 |
| 14 (T) | Dartmouth College | 17 | 32 |
| 16 | University of Michigan | 8 | 25 |
| 17 | Michigan State University | 13 | 20 |
| 18 | University of Washington (Wash.) | RV | 13 |
| 19 | University of Notre Dame | 19 (T) | 12 |
| 20 | University of California-Los Angeles | 16 | 10 |
| RV | California Maritime Academy | 14 | 1 |
| RV | Pennsylvania State University | 15 | 1 |
| RV | Villanova University | RV | 1 |
| RV | Boston University | RV | 1 |
2026 Men’s Division III Collegiate Club National Top 10 (Preseason)
The University of California-Santa Cruz – which tied with New York University at No. 1 in the final 2025 Men’s Division III Collegiate Club National Top 10 Poll – achieves sole custody of the top spot in the 2026 Men’s Division III Collegiate Club National Top 10 Preseason Poll.
The Banana Slugs (95 points) pull ahead of NYU (93 points) by a pair of points to stand alone at No. 1 heading into the new campaign. Middlebury College (90 points) also breaks a tie as the Panthers move in front of Augustana College (88 points) to rate solo at No. 3 after tying with the Vikings at the end of 2025.
The United States Coast Guard Academy (79 points) stays anchored at No. 5 with Carleton College (71 points) and Bowdoin College (70 points) exchanging the No. 6 and 7 spots.
Washington University in St. Louis (51 points), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (47 points) and Tufts University (41 points) complete the Top 10.
2026 Men’s Club Division III Top 10 (Preseason) |
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| Rank | Team | Final 2025 Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of California-Santa Cruz | 1 (T) | 95 |
| 2 | New York University | 1 (T) | 93 |
| 3 | Middlebury College | 3 (T) | 90 |
| 4 | Augustana College | 3 (T) | 88 |
| 5 | United States Coast Guard Academy | 5 | 79 |
| 6 | Carleton College | 7 | 71 |
| 7 | Bowdoin College | 6 | 70 |
| 8 | Washington University in St. Louis | 10 | 51 |
| 9 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 8 | 47 |
| 10 | Tufts University | RV | 41 |
| RV | Macalester College | NR | 34 |
