| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | |
| Year: | 1986 |
| Dates: | December 1986 |
| Num Teams: | 8 |
| Winners: | Stanford (6th title) |
| Second: | California (10th title game) |
| Matches: | 12 |
| Goals: | 230 |
| Attendance: | 3491 |
| Scoring Leader: | Robert Lynn, USC (12) |
| Award: | Fernando Carsalade, UCLA) David Imbernino, Stanford) Craig Klass, Stanford) |
| Prev Season: | 1985 |
| Next Season: | 1987 |
The 1986 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 18th annual NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship to determine the national champion of NCAA men's collegiate water polo. Tournament matches were played at the Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, California during December 1986.[1]
Stanford defeated rival California in the final, 9–6, to win their sixth national title. Coached by Dante Dettamanti, the Cardinal finished the season undefeated, 36–0.
The Most Outstanding Players of the tournament were Fernando Carsalade (UCLA), David Imbernino (Stanford), and Craig Klass (Stanford). An All-Tournament Team of eight players was also named.
The tournament's leading scorer was Robert Lynn from USC (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 | 5th | 1981 | |
| Brown | 8th | 1985 | |
| California | 13th | 1984 | |
| Navy | 2nd | 1984 | |
| Pepperdine | 5th | 1984 | |
| USC | 9th | 1984 | |
| Stanford | 14th | 1985 | |
| UCLA | 15th | 1985 |