UC Irvine Anteaters men's water polo

UC Irvine Anteaters men's water polo
Founded1965 (1965)
UniversityUniversity of California, Irvine
Head coachDaniel Klatt (4th season)
ConferenceBig West
LocationIrvine, California, US
StadiumAnteater Aquatics Complex
(capacity: 500)
NicknameAnteaters, UCI
NCAA tournament championships
1970, 1982, 1989
NCAA tournament runner-up
1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1985
NCAA tournament Semifinals
1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993
NCAA tournament appearances
1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2023
Conference tournament championships
2023
Conference regular season championships
1970, 1971, 1972, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2023, 2024

The UC Irvine Anteaters men's water polo program represents the University of California, Irvine in all NCAA Division I men's water polo competitions. Founded in 1965, the Anteaters compete in the Big West Conference.

The Anteaters are coached by Daniel Klatt, who has coached the team since 2022.[1] Daniel Klatt historically only coached the UC Irvine women's water polo team since 2004, and has previously served as an assistant for the U.S. Women's Water Polo Olympic Team in 2012 and 2016.[2] UC Irvine plays their home matches at the Anteater Aquatics Complex.

History

UC Irvine's men's water polo team won three NCAA Division I national championships in 1970, 1982, and 1989.[3][4][5]

UC Irvine's head men's water polo coach for many years was Ted Newland, who died in 2019.[6] As the Anteaters' head coach from 1966-2005, Newland had a lifetime record of 714–345–5. In his 39 years at the helm the Anteaters won three national championships, and the team was consistently rated among the nation's top 5 programs. Many world-class water polo players have been affiliated with UCI, with more than 70 NCAA All-Americans and 13 Olympians being produced by the program. Four Anteaters were a part of the United States team that won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.[7][8]

In 2023, the Big West, UC Irvine's primary conference, began sponsorship of men's water polo.[9] UC Irvine won the inaugural Big West men's water polo regular season and championship, beating conference rival UC Santa Barbara 11–9, and ending a 30-year NCAA playoff drought dating back to 1993.[10][11]

Postseason

NCAA Tournament

UC Irvine has appeared in twenty-two NCAA Tournaments. Their combined record is 29–19.[12]

Year Round Opponent Result
1969 First Round California L 4–5
1970 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 USC
Long Beach State
UCLA		 W 7–4
W 9–6
W 7–6
1971 First Round CSU Fullerton L 4–5
1972 First Round
Semifinals		 UC Santa Barbara
UCLA		 W 16–12
L 10–15
1973 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 Long Beach State
USC
California		 W 7–5
W 9–5
L 4–8
1974 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 UC Santa Barbara
UCLA
California		 W 10–6
W 5–3
L 6–7
1975 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 UC Davis
Stanford
California		 W 19–4
W 9–8
L 8–9
1976 First Round
Semifinals		 Pittsburgh
UCLA		 W 18–4
L 9–14
1977 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 Arizona
Stanford
California		 W 14–7
W 9–7
L 6–8
1978 First Round
Semifinals		 Loyola (IL)
California		 W 14–5
L 5–7
1980 First Round
Semifinals		 Bucknell
California		 W 13–4
L 7–9
1981 First Round
Semifinals		 UC Santa Barbara
Stanford		 W 9–8
L 6–13
1982 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 Brown
California
Stanford		 W 13–2
W 8–5
W 7–4
1983 First Round
Semifinals		 Loyola (IL)
USC		 W 12–8
L 8–9
1985 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 Brown
UCLA
Stanford		 W 15–8
W 7–6
L 11–12
1987 First Round
Semifinals		 Stanford
California		 W 8–6
L 3–7
1988 First Round USC L 11–13
1989 First Round
Semifinals
National Championship		 UALR
Stanford
California		 W 13–6
W 8–7
W 9–8
1991 First Round
Semifinals		 Long Beach State
California		 W 11–8
L 10–13
1992 First Round
Semifinals		 Pepperdine
California		 W 11–8
L 5–8
1993 First Round
Semifinals		 Pacific
Stanford		 W 12–10
L 8–10
2023 First Round Princeton L 7-12

Yearly records

Below is a table of the program's yearly records.[13][14][15]

Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Independent (Division I) (1965–1969)
1965 Al Irwin 14–4
—
—
1966 Ted Newland 14–6
—
—
1967 Ted Newland 18–4
—
—
1968 Ted Newland 25–2
—
—
1969 Ted Newland 20–8
—
—
 NCAA First Round
Independent: 90–24
—
Golden Coast Conference (Golden Coast) (1970–1972)
1970 Ted Newland 27–2
—
 1st NCAA Champions
1971 Ted Newland 20–6
—
 1st NCAA First Round
1972 Ted Newland 18–5
—
 1st NCAA Semifinals
Golden Coast (1st Stint) : 65–13
—
Independent (Division I) (1973–1976)
1973 Ted Newland 16–4
—
—
 NCAA Runners-up
1974 Ted Newland 17–5
—
—
 NCAA Runners-up
1975 Ted Newland 15–6
—
—
 NCAA Runners-up
1976 Ted Newland 16–6
—
—
 NCAA Semifinals
Independent: 64–21
—
Big West Conference (Big West/PCAA) (1977–1991)
1977 Ted Newland 23–5 9–0 2nd NCAA Runners-up
1978 Ted Newland 26–8 6–0 1st NCAA Semifinals
1979 Ted Newland 15–12 6–1 2nd
1980 Ted Newland 25–5–1 6–1 1st NCAA Semifinals
1981 Ted Newland 22–10–1 4–2 3rd NCAA Semifinals
1982 Ted Newland 30–0 6–0 1st NCAA Champions
1983 Ted Newland 22–11–2 4–2 3rd NCAA Semifinals
1984 Ted Newland 16–12–1 8–4 2nd
1985 Ted Newland 23–8 10–2 1st NCAA Runners-up
1986 Ted Newland 17–11 10–2 2nd
1987 Ted Newland 20–9 9–1 1st NCAA Semifinals
1988 Ted Newland 18–15 8–2 2nd NCAA First Round
1989 Ted Newland 27–6 8–2 T-1st NCAA Champions
1990 Ted Newland 13–6 3–7 5th
1991 Ted Newland 21–9 8–2 T-1st NCAA Semifinals
Big West (1st Stint) : 318–127–5 105–28
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) (1992–2015)
1992 Ted Newland 20–10 10–3 2nd NCAA Semifinals
1993 Ted Newland 18–11 6–4 3rd NCAA Semifinals
1994 Ted Newland 11–13 3–5 7th
1995 Ted Newland 16–8 6–2 4th
1996 Ted Newland 16–8 6–2 4th
1997 Ted Newland 12–14 3–5 6th
1998 Ted Newland 19–8 6–2 2nd
1999 Ted Newland 7–17 0–8 9th
2000 Ted Newland 20–7 7–1 T-1st
2001 Ted Newland 7–15 1–7 8th
2002 Ted Newland 16–11 4–4 6th
2003 Ted Newland 12–17 3–5 7th
2004 Ted Newland 16–14 4–4 T-4th
2005 Marc Hunt 18–12 6–2 2nd
2006 Marc Hunt 10–21 2–6 6th
2007 Marc Hunt 14–11 4–4 5th
2008 Marc Hunt 11–15 1–7 8th
2009 Marc Hunt 17–12 3–5 6th
2010 Marc Hunt 18–8 4–4 5th
2011 Marc Hunt 17–12 2–6 T-6th
2012 Marc Hunt 14–12 0–8 9th
2013 Marc Hunt 13–15 1–7 T-7th
2014 Marc Hunt 15–14 2–6 T-6th
2015 Marc Hunt 16–12 3–6 7th
MPSF: 353–297 87–117
Golden Coast Conference (Golden Coast) (2016–2022)
2016 Marc Hunt 10–14 1–4 5th
2017 Marc Hunt 15–10 3–2 2nd
2018 Marc Hunt 9–17 1–4 5th
2019 Marc Hunt 7–16 0–5 6th
2020 Marc Hunt No season held due to Covid-19 No season held due to Covid-19
—
2021 Marc Hunt 8–13 1–4 6th
2022 Daniel Klatt 6–13 2–3 5th
Golden Coast (2nd Stint) : 55–83 8–22
Big West Conference (Big West) (2023–present)
2023 Daniel Klatt 18–10 4–1 1st NCAA First Round
2024 Daniel Klatt 18–9 5–0 1st
2025 Daniel Klatt 15–12 2–3 5th
Big West (2nd Stint) : 51–31 11–4
Total: 974–586–5

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ Shackleford, Stacey. "Dan Klatt Named Director Of Water Polo At UC Irvine". UCI Athletics. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  2. ^ "Dan Klatt - Women's Senior National Team Coach". USA Water Polo. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  3. ^ "UC Irvine". Mwater.uci.edu. Archived from the original on April 5, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  4. ^ Zetlmeisl, Sarah. "Championship Rewind: 1970 Men's Water Polo". UCI Athletics. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  5. ^ Penner, John (October 28, 1985). "The Campbell Brothers Pool Their Talents Again on UCI Water Polo Team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  6. ^ staff, Daily Pilot (April 6, 2019). "Longtime UC Irvine water polo coach Ted Newland dies at 91". Daily Pilot. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  7. ^ "Four former UCI players selected for U.S. Olympic Men's Water Polo Team". Orange County Register. June 30, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  8. ^ "Powers and U.S. water polo teammates cherish silver at Olympic Games". Orange County Register. August 28, 2008. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  9. ^ "The Big West Granted Automatic Qualifier For 2023 NCAA Men's Water Polo Tournament". bigwest.org. December 19, 2025. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  10. ^ "UCI Makes History With Big West Championship Win". UCI Athletics. November 19, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  11. ^ "UC Irvine Men's Water Polo Wins First Conference Championship Since 2000 | New University | UC Irvine". December 5, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  12. ^ "National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championships Records Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  13. ^ "UC Irvine Men's Water Polo Record Book" (PDF). Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  14. ^ "2024 Men's Water Polo Schedule". UCI Athletics. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  15. ^ "2025 Men's Water Polo Schedule". UCI Athletics. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
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