| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | |
| Year: | 1972 |
| Dates: | December 1972 |
| Num Teams: | 8 |
| Winners: | UCLA (3rd title) |
| Second: | UC Irvine |
| Third: | San José State |
| Fourth: | USC |
| Matches: | 13 |
| Goals: | 331 |
| Scoring Leader: | Jim Kruse, UCI (31) |
| Award: | Eric Lindroth, UCLA |
| Prev Season: | 1971 |
| Next Season: | 1973 |
The 1972 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the fourth 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 Armond H. Seidler Natatorium in Albuquerque, New Mexico during December 1972.[1]
UCLA defeated UC Irvine in the final, 10–5, to win their third, and second consecutive, national title.
The leading scorer for the tournament was Jim Kruse from UC Irvine (31 goals). The Most Outstanding Player of the tournament was Eric Lindroth from UCLA. Additionally, an All-Tournament Team was named for the first time this year.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola–Chicago | 1st | Never | |
| New Mexico | 2nd | 1971 | |
| San José State | 3rd | 1971 | |
| UC Irvine | 4th | 1971 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 3rd | 1970 | |
| USC | 3rd | 1970 | |
| UCLA | 4th | 1971 | |
| Yale | 2nd | 1969 |