| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | |
| Year: | 1987 |
| Dates: | December 1987 |
| Num Teams: | 8 |
| Winners: | California (7th title) |
| Second: | USC (2nd title game) |
| Matches: | 12 |
| Goals: | 234 |
| Attendance: | 4398 |
| Scoring Leader: | Rafael Gandarillas, Pepperdine & Alexis Rousseau, UCLA (11) |
| Award: | Giacomo Rossi (USC) |
| Prev Season: | 1986 |
| Next Season: | 1988 |
The 1987 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 19th 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 1987.[1]
California defeated USC in the final, 9–8 (in one overtime), to win their seventh national title. Coached by Pete Cutino, the Golden Bears finished the season 27–3.
The Most Outstanding Player of the tournament was Giacomo Rossi (USC). An All-Tournament Team of eight players was also named.
The tournament's leading scorers, with 12 goals each, were Rafael Gandarillas (Pepperdine) and Alexis Rousseau (UCLA)
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown | 9th | 1986 | |
| California | 14th | 1986 | |
| UC Irvine | 16th | 1985 | |
| Navy | 3rd | 1986 | |
| Pepperdine | 6th | 1986 | |
| USC | 10th | 1986 | |
| Stanford | 15th | 1986 | |
| UCLA | 16th | 1986 |