BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- The 2008 NCAA National Champion Trojans of the University of Southern California conclude the season as a unanimous No. 1 selection in the December 10 and final Men's Varsity Top 20 Poll released today by the Collegiate Water Polo Association office.
USC, which went undefeated during the year, are followed by Pepperdine University, Stanford University, the University of California-Los Angeles and Loyola Marymount University in the Top Five as the poll experienced little change from the December 3 balloting.
The Trojans conclude the season on an 11-week run of being No. 1 in the nation, including an eight week string of being a unanimous choice as the top team in the nation.
Overall, only four teams saw their rankings change as the University of California-Santa Barbara moved past the University of California-Berkeley to claim sole possession of sixth palce after UCSB and Cal were tied for sixth in the December 3 poll.
The only other change occurred at No. 16-17 as the University of the Pacific climbed one place to take over the No. 16 spot formerly held by Brown University, which dropped back to No. 17.
2008 Varsity Top 20 (Final) |
Rank | Team | December 3 Poll | Points |
| 1 | University of Southern California
| 1 | 100 |
| 2 | Pepperdine University
| 2 | 93 |
| 3 | Stanford University
| 3 | 92 |
| 4 | University of California, Los Angeles
| 4 | 85 |
| 5 | Loyola Marymount University
| 5 | 81 |
6
| University of California, Santa Barbara
| 6 (T)
| 74 |
7
| University of California, Berkeley
| 6 (T)
| 71 |
| 8 | University of California, Irvine
| 8 | 66 |
| 9 | Long Beach State University
| 9 | 60 |
| 10 | University of California, San Diego
| 10 | 56 |
| 11 | United States Naval Academy
| 11 | 49 |
| 12 | University of California, Davis
| 12 | 47 |
| 13 | Princeton University
| 13 | 40 |
| 14 | St. Francis College (N.Y.)
| 14 | 34 |
| 15 | Santa Clara University
| 15 | 31 |
| 16 | University of the Pacific
| 17 | 24 |
| 17 | Brown University
| 16
| 19 |
18
| California Baptist University
| 18
| 15 |
19
| University of Redlands
| 19
| 13 |
20
| United States Air Force Academy
| 20 | 5 |
| RV | Bucknell University
| RV
| 2 |
2008 Division III Poll (Final) |
| Rank | Team | November 26 Poll | Points |
| 1 | Johns Hopkins University
| 1 | 97 |
2
| University of Redlands
| 2
| 96 |
3
| California Lutheran University
| 3
| 88 |
4
| Pomona Pitzer Colleges
| 4 (T)
| 81 |
5
| MIT | 4 (T)
| 79 |
6
| Occidental College
| 6
| 77 |
7
| Claremont Mudd Scripps Colleges
| 7
| 76 |
8
| Whittier College
| 8
| 62 |
9
| University of California, Santa Cruz
| 9
| 60 |
| 10 | Chapman University
| 10
| 48 |
RV
| University of LaVerne
| RV
| 11
|
2008 CWPA Poll (Final) |
Rank | Team | November 26 Poll | Points |
1
| United States Naval Academy
| 1
| 100 |
2
| Princeton University
| 2
| 95 |
3
| St. Francis College
| 3
| 90 |
4
| Brown University
| 4
| 85 |
5
| Bucknell University
| 5
| 80 |
6
| Johns Hopkins University | 6
| 75 |
7
| MIT | 7 | 68 |
| 8 | Iona College
| 8 | 65 |
| 9 | Fordham University
| 9 | 48 |
| 10 | George Washington University
| 10 | 47 |
RV
| Mercyhurst College
| NR
| 2 |
Voted on by coaches and administrators from NCAA Division I, III and the Collegiate Water Polo Association communities, respectively, the Varsity Top 20, Division III Top 10 and CWPA Polls are released each Wednesday during the season by approximately 5:00 p.m.
