| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | |
| Year: | 1971 |
| Dates: | December 1971 |
| Num Teams: | 8 |
| Winners: | UCLA (2nd title) |
| Second: | San José State (1st title game) |
| Third: | Cal State Fullerton |
| Fourth: | Long Beach State |
| Matches: | 12 |
| Goals: | 200 |
| Scoring Leader: | Jim Waska, CSUF (14) |
| Prev Season: | 1970 |
| Next Season: | 1972 |
The 1971 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the third 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 1971.[1]
UCLA defeated San José State in the final, 5–3, to win their second national title.
The leading scorer for the tournament was Jim Waska from Cal State Fullerton (14 goals). The awards for All-Tournament Team and Most Outstanding Player were not given out until 1972.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cal State Fullerton | 1st | Never | |
| Long Beach State | 3rd | 1970 | |
| New Mexico | 1st | Never | |
| San José State | 2nd | 1970 | |
| Stanford | 2nd | 1970 | |
| UC Irvine | 3rd | 1970 | |
| UCLA | 3rd | 1970 | |
| Washington | 1st | Never |