1989 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship

The 1989 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 21st annual NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship to determine the national champion of NCAA men's collegiate water polo. Tournament matches were played at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana during December 1989.^[1]

1989 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship

Tournament details
Dates	December 1989
Teams	8
Final positions
Champions	UC Irvine (3rd title)
Runners-up	California (13th title game)
Tournament statistics
Matches played	12
Goals scored	193 (16.08 per match)
Attendance	3,421 (285 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)	Tom Warde, UC Irvine (11)
Awards
Best player	Dan Smoot (UC Irvine)
← 1988 1990 →

UC Irvine defeated two-time defending champion California in the final, 9–8, to win their third national title. Coached by Ted Newland, the Anteaters finished the season 27–6.

The Most Outstanding Player of the tournament was Dan Smoot (UC Irvine). Smoot, along with eight other players, was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The tournament's leading scorer, with 11 goals, was Tom Warde from UC Irvine.

Qualification

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
Arkansas–Little Rock	2nd	1988
Brown	10th	1987
California	16th	1988
UC Irvine	18th	1988
UC San Diego	1st	Never
Long Beach State	10th	1988
Pepperdine	7th	1987
Stanford	17th	1988

Bracket

• Site: Indiana University Natatorium, Indianapolis, Indiana

	Fifth place					Consolation semifinals					First round					Championship semifinals					Championship
											California		15
											Brown		2
						Brown		4								California		10
						Long Beach State		8								Pepperdine		9
											Pepperdine		13
											Long Beach State		8
	Long Beach State		10																		California		8
	UC San Diego		5																		UC Irvine		9
											Stanford		7
											UC San Diego		6
	Seventh place					UC San Diego		10								Stanford		7			Third place
						Arkansas–Little Rock		9								UC Irvine		8
	Brown		8								UC Irvine		13								Pepperdine		5
	Arkansas–Little Rock		6								Arkansas–Little Rock		6								Stanford		7

All-tournament team

• Dan Smoot, UC Irvine (Most outstanding player)
• Rich Ambidge, California
• Geoffrey Clark, Pepperdine
• Chris Duplanty, UC Irvine
• Chris Humbert, California
• Rick McNair, Stanford
• Jeff Oeding, Stanford
• Sasa Poljak, Pepperdine
• Tom Warde, UC Irvine

See also

• NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship