| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | |
| Year: | 1976 |
| Dates: | December 1976 |
| Num Teams: | 8 |
| Winners: | Stanford (1st title) |
| Second: | UCLA (5th title game) |
| Fourth: | UC Santa Barbara |
| Matches: | 12 |
| Goals: | 252 |
| Attendance: | 3050 |
| Scoring Leader: | Dave Breen, Arizona (17) |
| Award: | Chris Dorst, Stanford |
| Prev Season: | 1975 |
| Next Season: | 1977 |
The 1976 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the eighth 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 1976.[1]
Stanford defeated UCLA in the final, 13–12, to win their first national title.
The leading scorer for the tournament was Dave Breen from Arizona (17 goals). Chris Dorst, from Stanford, was named the Most Outstanding Player. An All-Tournament Team, consisting of seven players, was also 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 2nd | 1975 | |
| Loyola–Chicago | 2nd | 1972 | |
| Pittsburgh | 1st | Never | |
| Stanford | 5th | 1975 | |
| Texas A&M | 1st | Never | |
| UC Irvine | 8th | 1975 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 6th | 1974 | |
| UCLA | 8th | 1975 |