| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | |
| Year: | 1981 |
| Dates: | December 1981 |
| Num Teams: | 8 |
| Winners: | Stanford (4th title) |
| Second: | Long Beach State (1st title game) |
| Matches: | 12 |
| Goals: | 228 |
| Attendance: | 2579 |
| Scoring Leader: | James Bergeson, Stanford (12) |
| Prev Season: | 1980 |
| Next Season: | 1982 |
The 1981 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 13th 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 1981.[1]
Stanford defeated Long Beach State in the final, 17–6, to win their fourth, and second consecutive, national title.
James Bergeson (Stanford) and Jody Campbell (Stanford) were named the Co-Most Outstanding Players of the tournament. An All-Tournament Team, consisting of seven players, was also named.
Bergeson was also the tournament's leading scorer, with 12 goals.
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 4th | 1979 | |
| Brown | 3rd | 1979 | |
| California | 9th | 1980 | |
| Long Beach State | 6th | 1975 | |
| Stanford | 9th | 1980 | |
| UC Irvine | 12th | 1980 | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 9th | 1980 | |
| UCLA | 10th | 1979 |