| NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship | |
| Year: | 1988 |
| Dates: | December 1988 |
| Num Teams: | 8 |
| Winners: | California (8th title) |
| Second: | UCLA (7th title game) |
| Matches: | 12 |
| Goals: | 238 |
| Attendance: | 5073 |
| Scoring Leader: | Kyle Kopp, Long Beach State (12) |
| Award: | Kirk Everist (California) |
| Prev Season: | 1987 |
| Next Season: | 1989 |
The 1988 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 20th 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 1988.[1]
California defeated UCLA in the final, 14–11, to win their eighth national title. Coached by Pete Cutino, the Golden Bears finished the season 33–3.
The Most Outstanding Player of the tournament was Kirk Everist (California). An All-Tournament Team of seven players was also named.
The tournament's leading scorer, with 12 goals, was Kyle Kopp from Long Beach State.
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. Arkansas–Little Rock, who appeared for the first time this year, was the first team from the Southern United States to qualify for the tournament.
| Team | Appearance | Previous | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas–Little Rock | 1st | Never | |
| California | 15th | 1987 | |
| UC Irvine | 17th | 1987 | |
| Long Beach State | 9th | 1985 | |
| Navy | 4th | 1987 | |
| USC | 11th | 1987 | |
| Stanford | 16th | 1987 | |
| UCLA | 17th | 1987 |