BRIDGEPORT, Pa. — Created in 2001, the Men’s Collegiate Club Texas Division was comprised of 10 teams in 2019 with Baylor University, Louisiana State University, Rice University, the Texas A&M University “A”, Texas A&M University “B”, Texas State University, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston, the University of Texas “A” and the University of Texas “B” competing for the latest division crown.
HISTORY: Created in 2001, the Texas Division has seen its membership expand to its current 10-team field over the past 19-years – although the top tier of the grouping has remained predominantly controlled by a pair of teams.
In the nearly two-decade tenure of the Texas Division, Texas and Texas A&M have been the preeminent forces with the Aggies (2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2016) picking up five championships, while the Longhorns have stampeded to 13 crowns (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2019, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). The only team to break Texas A&M and Texas’ hold on the top spot was Texas Tech which downed the Longhorns in 2011 for the program’s lone championship.
Factor in that Texas (2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2016) and Texas A&M (2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019) also hold a combined 15 runner-up finishes in the division with the pair meeting a total of 14 times for the division championship. The other teams to make the title tilt are Rice (2006), Houston (2012, 2013) and Texas State (2014) as the upper echelon in the Lonestar ranks has stayed relatively consistent.
On the National stage, the Texas Division has never captured a Men’s National Collegiate Club Championship – as Texas is the lone team from the group to make the title game falling to a pair of teams from the area around “America’s Finest City” as the University of California-San Diego (2010) and San Diego State University (2017) corralled the Longhorns.
Texas Division Champion/Runner-Up
2001 – Texas A&M University / University of Texas
2002 – Texas A&M University / University of Texas
2003 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
2004 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
2005 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
2006 – University of Texas / Rice University
2007 – Texas A&M University / University of Texas
2008 – Texas A&M University / University of Texas
2009 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
2010 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
2011 – Texas Tech University / University of Texas
2012 – University of Texas / University of Houston
2013 – University of Texas / University of Houston
2014 – University of Texas / Texas State University
2015 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
2016 – Texas A&M University / University of Texas
2017 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
2018 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
2019 – University of Texas / Texas A&M University
National Championship Appearances
- 2010 – University of Texas (National Collegiate Club Championship Runner-Up)
- 2017 – University of Texas (National Collegiate Club Championship Runner-Up)
MEMBERSHIP: The Texas Division name is a misnomer as the group encompasses teams from two states with Texas “A”, Texas “B”, Houston, Rice, Baylor, Texas A&M “A”, Texas “B”, Texas Tech and Texas State hailing from the Lonestar State, while Louisiana State is also part of the group due to proximity to the remainder of the division.
This past year, Texas A&M ran through the regular season slate to claim the Texas Division regular season title with a perfect 8-0 mark. However, Texas “A” – which fell by a 6-5 score at Texas A&M during the regular season for the Longhorns only defeat – rallied at the division tournament to upend the Aggies by a 7-3 count at Houston’s Gibbs Recreation & Wellness Center to earn the division championship. The remainder of the final division standings echoed the regular season as Houston, Rice, Baylor, Texas A&M “B”, Texas “B”, Louisiana State, Texas Tech and Texas State wrapped up the year at No. 3-to-10, respectively.
NEED MORE INFORMATION: The Collegiate Water Polo Association publishes the contact information for the collegiate club teams under the Membership tab at the top of the page. CLICK HERE to review the men’s collegiate club programs’ contact information.