1980 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship

1980 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship
Tournament details
DatesDecember 1980
Teams8
Final positions
ChampionsStanford (3rd title)
Runner-upCalifornia (7th title game)
Third placeUC Irvine
Fourth placePepperdine
Tournament statistics
Matches played12
Goals scored214 (17.83 per match)
Attendance2,401 (200 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Kevin Robertson, California & Scott Schulte, Bucknell (11)
Best playerJohn Gansel, Stanford & Kevin Robertson, California
← 1979
1981 →

The 1980 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 12th annual NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship to determine the national champion of NCAA men's college water polo. Tournament matches were played at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, California during December 1980.[1]

Stanford defeated California in the final, 8–6, to win their third national title.

John Gansel (Stanford) and Kevin Robertson (California) were named the Co-Most Outstanding Players of the tournament. An All-Tournament Team, consisting of nine players, was also named.

Robertson and Scott Schulte (Bucknell) were the tournament's leading scorers (12 goals). Schulte is the only men's water polo player to be the leading scorer in four consecutive tournaments (1977–1980).

Qualification

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Since there has only ever been one single national championship for water polo, all NCAA men's water polo programs (whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III) were eligible. A total of 8 teams were invited to contest this championship.

Team Appearance Previous
Bucknell 4th 1979
California 8th 1979
Loyola–Chicago 6th 1979
Pepperdine 3rd 1978
USC 5th 1973
Stanford 8th 1979
UC Irvine 11th 1978
UC Santa Barbara 8th 1979

Bracket

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Fifth placeConsolation semifinalsFirst roundChampionship semifinalsChampionship
Stanford22
Loyola–Chicago5
Loyola–Chicago3Stanford17
USC16Pepperdine6
Pepperdine9
USC8
USC11Stanford8
UC Santa Barbara4California6
UC Irvine13
Bucknell4
Seventh placeBucknell8UC Irvine7Third place
UC Santa Barbara10California9
Loyola–Chicago4California11Pepperdine8
Bucknell8UC Santa Barbara7UC Irvine10

All-tournament team

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Men's Water Polo Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved April 12, 2015.