UC Irvine defeated two-time defending champion California in the final, 9–8, to win their third national title. Coached by Ted Newland, the Anteaters finished the season 27–6.
The Most Outstanding Player of the tournament was Dan Smoot (UC Irvine). Smoot, along with eight other players, was named to the All-Tournament Team.
The tournament's leading scorer, with 11 goals, was Tom Warde from UC Irvine.
Qualification
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.