Aug. 27, 2015
Bridgeport, Pa.----- With a 34-year gap between matches coming to a close, the respect and anticipation for the reinstated San Jose State University men's water polo team shows in the Men's Varsity Preseason National Top-20 coaches poll managed by the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).
The Spartans are ranked 16th as head coach Bruce Watson still has players battling for roster spots and playing time prior to the September 5 season opener against Santa Clara University in the Aquatics Center at noon. Admission is free and a capacity crowd is expected for the first home match since 1981. Additional grandstands around the pool will be in place.
"We are honored to be ranked 16th in the preseason pool, without playing a game. It seems like other coaches have the same high expectations for us that we have for ourselves," says the San Jose State head coach.
The Spartans' history as one of the top teams in the country includes four top-five NCAA Championship finishes in the 1970's. The 1971 San Jose State team finished second at the NCAA Championship.
Defending NCAA champion UCLA tops the preseason coaches poll. USC, Cal, Stanford and Pacific, all Mountain Pacific Sports Federation teams on the Spartans' schedule, round out the top five teams.
| Rank, Team | Points |
| 1. UCLA | 99 |
| 2. USC | 93 |
| 3. California | 90 |
| 4. Stanford | 87 |
| 5. Pacific | 78 |
| 6. Long Beach State | 75 |
| 7. UC Santa Barbara | 66 |
| 8. Pepperdine | 54 |
| 9. UC Irvine | 53 |
| 10. UC San Diego | 52 |
| 11. Brown | 45 |
| Princeton | 45 |
| 13. UC Davis | 44 |
| 14. Loyola Marymount | 41 |
| 15. Navy | 26 |
| 16. San Jose State | 17 |
| 17. St. Francis (N.Y.) | 15 |
| Air Force | 15 |
| 19. M.I.T. | 14 |
| Bucknell | 14 |