GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Due to return flights, Big Ten Division Champion/No. 7-ranked the University of Michigan informed the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) staff during the evening of Saturday, November 9, of the Wolverines’ inability to compete in the 2024 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship 11th Place game on Sunday, November 10, at the University of Florida’s Ann Marie Rogers Swimming & Diving Pool in the O’Connell Center.
Michigan – which was to compete against Northwest Division Champion/No. 14 the University of Oregon at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for 11th Place – forfeits the game. To prevent Oregon from missing a game at the championship, the teams that competed in the 13th-15th Place games (Southeast Division Champion/No. 20 the Georgia Institute of Technology; New York Division Champion/No. 13 the United States Military Academy; Missouri Valley Division Champion Iowa State University; Florida Division runner-up Florida State University) were polled and the teams that could compete were entered into a drawing to decide which program earned a chance to compete against Oregon.
Oregon – which finishes 11th in the official standings due to Michigan’s forfeit – will take on Army at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, in the 30th and final contested game of the weekend. Michigan’s final placement for the 2024 Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship will be determined by the league’s Governance Council upon conclusion of the championship weekend as the Wolverines could claim 12th place or be dropped back to 15th due to forfeiting a game at the championship event.
