National League Expanding In 2026; Competition Begins February 6

 

SCHEDULE (subject to change) - LIVE STREAMING - LIVE STATS

Irvine, CA - January 16 - The USA Water Polo Men's National League is set for a major expansion in 2026 with six weekends of regular season play spread across Northern & Southern California alongside the inclusion of 18U clubs. The traditional National League will be split into three conferences. The action played in Southern California across four regular season weekends will be divided into the Blue and Red conferences while two weekends of play in Northern California will be comprised of a third NorCal conference. Each location will also have separate 18U club play blended into the schedule allowing fans to enjoy elite play at both the open age group and 18U age group. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the National League Championship will be held May 1-3 in Southern California with a champion crowned in both the traditional National League and the 18U competition.

In Southern California, the Blue Conference will consist of Channel Islands United, LBU, Mission, New York Athletic Club, Riptide, Riverside, and USA B while the Red Conference will include Anteater, Fight On, Los Angeles Athletic Club, LMU, South County, Sunset, and USA Youth. The 18U Conference will feature CDM, Channel Islands United, Dons WPC, La Jolla United, LA Premier, Mission, Pride WP, Aetos WPC, Newport, Shore Aquatics, SOCAL, Trojan, and San Diego Shores.

The Northern California open age group conference will see The Olympic Club, Stanford, Golden Bear, Spartans, Santa Clara, Big Valley WPA (UOP), and Davis do battle while the 18U conference will have Diablo, NORCAL, CC United, Stanford, Lamorinda and San Francisco take to the pool.

A full schedule is available by clicking here with venues to be added shortly. Schedule is subject to change. 

Overnght will provide extensive LIVE streaming of the competition with LIVE stats of matches scored by 6-8 Sports. 

"The 2026 National League marks a defining moment for water polo in the United States," said Tom Davis, USA Water Polo Men's National League Commissioner. "By expanding the league, introducing regional conferences and fully integrating elite 18U competition, we are creating a unified ecosystem that develops athletes, strengthens clubs and elevates the sport across multiple levels. This structure allows our best young players to train and compete alongside top collegiate and senior athletes, while giving fans a consistent, high-quality product across."