| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | |
| Year: | 1973 |
| Dates: | December 1973 |
| Num Teams: | 8 |
| Winners: | California (1st title) |
| Second: | UC Irvine (1st title game) |
| Third: | USC |
| Fourth: | UCLA |
| Matches: | 12 |
| Goals: | 151 |
| Scoring Leader: | Bruce Kocsis, USC (8) |
| Prev Season: | 1972 |
| Next Season: | 1974 |
The 1973 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the fifth 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 1973.[1]
California defeated UC Irvine in the final, 8–4, to win their first national title.
The leading scorer for the tournament was Bruce Kocsis from USC (8 goals). The award for Most Outstanding Player was not given out this year, but an All-Tournament Team was named.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2nd | 1969 | |
| Long Beach State | 4th | 1971 | |
| New Mexico | 3rd | 1972 | |
| San José State | 4th | 1972 | |
| UC Irvine | 5th | 1972 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 4th | 1972 | |
| USC | 4th | 1972 | |
| UCLA | 5th | 1972 |