NCAA Announces 2008 Men's Water Polo Championship Selection Criteria

Selection Criteria:
The following criteria shall be employed by a governing sports committee in selecting participants for NCAA championships competition [Bylaw 31.3.3; Criteria for Selection of Participants]:
• Won-lost record;
• Strength of schedule; and
• Eligibility and availability of student-athletes for NCAA championships;

In addition to Bylaw 31.3.3, the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Committee has received approval from the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet to consider the following criteria in the selection of at-large teams for the men’s water polo championship (not necessarily in priority order):
Primary Criteria
• Head-to-head competition.
• Results vs. common opponents.
• Strength of schedule (determined by looking at a team’s results against top teams in the sponsoring conferences).
Secondary Criteria
• Late-season performance (last ten games, including conference tournaments).
• Results against teams already selected.

Once the teams are selected, the NCAA Men’s Water Polo Committee will seed the four teams, using the selection criteria listed above.

Coaches’ polls and/or any other outside polls or rankings are not used as a selection criteria by the men’s water polo committee for selection purposes.

Automatic-Qualifying Conferences
[Reference: Bylaws 31.3.4 and 31.3.5 in the NCAA Manual.]
Three conferences are granted automatic qualification to the 2008 championship:

• Collegiate Water Polo Association
• Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
• Western Water Polo Association