Division I · Big West Conference
University of California, Santa Barbara Men's Water Polo
Santa Barbara, CA · the Gauchos · University of California, Santa Barbara overview
28
Roster
4 over the D-I cap of 24
$654k
Team budget
61st percentile in Division I
$23,364
Per roster spot
median $23,364
3
Coaches
1 head · 2 assistant
960
APR
97% of players retained
28%
Admitted
top quarter for selectivity
University of California, Santa Barbara fields a men's water polo team in the Big West Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 28 players, about the median of 26, with 1 head coach and 2 assistants. Team expenses were $654,218, about the median of $638k — $23,364 per roster spot, upper half of Division I men's water polo programs. Under the Division I roster cap of 24 in force from 2025-26, that is 4 over — cuts or attrition are likely, though players already on the roster may stay (17 of 29 Division I programs carried more than the cap). The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 960, about the median of 985, with 97% of players retained year to year. The school gave $3,214,113 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $10,932 per roster spot.
Among Division I men's water polo programs
Where this program sits against its 29 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#12Team budgetof 29 · Division I#14Spend per playerof 29 · Division I#7Roster sizeof 29 · Division I#22APRof 29 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I men's water polo program
Roster sizes (cap 24)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster28 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap24 4 over last season
- Coaching staff1 head, 2 assistant
- Team expenses$654,218 for the year
- Operating expenses$109,353 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$23,364 division median $23,364
- Academic Progress Rate960 multi-year; 986 latest
- Players retained97% year to year
- Eligible94% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$3,214,113 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$10,932 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$525,105 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Wolf Wigo head coach | Head Coach | On file · sign in |
| James Wolff | Assistant Coach | On file · sign in |
| Ian Wood | Assistant Coach | not on file |
Put University of California, Santa Barbara on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youJune 15 after sophomore year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school water polo players21,756 2024-25
- Division I roster spots676 29 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 32 3.1% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the men's water polo recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →23,232undergraduates · 26,068 students in all
Women 56% Men 44%
- Setting
- Suburb
- Type
- Public · Research university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →28%admitted · of 110,871 applicants
- Test scores
- Scores not considered
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 85%
Men's Water Polo
Full picture →28on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 2428
4 over — players already on the roster may stay
Academic Progress Rate960
97% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $654,218 $23,365 per roster spot · upper half of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 2 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $3,214,113
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $525,105
Cost
Full picture →$15,283net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $14,965 in-state · $45,742 out
Campus safety
Full picture →2.14violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 36 burglaries · 93 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 149 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →27%of bachelor's degrees in social sciences · 20 fields · Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research University of California, Santa Barbara
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Men's Water Polo program28 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions28% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$15,283 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsSocial sciences · 27%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusSuburb · 23,232Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety2.14 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Men's Water Polo programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Lutheran University Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conf. | 57 | 28 | $111k | — | 89% | |
| Pepperdine University Division I · West Coast Conference | 70 | 29 | $1.4M | 991 | 50% | |
| University of California, Los Angeles Division I · Mountain Pacific Sports Federation - Men's Water Polo | 84 | 28 | $1.5M | 994 | 9% | |
| Loyola Marymount University Division I · West Coast Conference | 87 | 25 | $970k | 1000 | 40% | |
| University of Southern California Division I · Mountain Pacific Sports Federation - Men's Water Polo | 93 | 26 | $1.3M | 981 | 10% | |
| Occidental College Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conf. | 95 | 22 | $109k | — | 40% | |
| California Institute of Technology Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conf. | 100 | 14 | $117k | — | 3% | |
| Whittier College Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conf. | 108 | 19 | $73k | — | 85% | |
| Long Beach State University Division I · Big West Conference | 108 | 28 | $605k | 990 | 47% | |
| Biola University Division II · Western Water Polo Association Men | 111 | 26 | $459k | — | 60% | |
| California State University, Fullerton Division I · Big West Conference | 118 | 22 | $495k | — | 87% | |
| University of La Verne Division III · Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conf. | 120 | 17 | $93k | — | 48% |
Other men's water polo programs in the Big West Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Baptist University at cap | 24 | $754k | $31,430 | 967 | vs | |
| University of California, Santa Barbara 4 over cap | 28 | $654k | $23,364 | 960 | vs | |
| Long Beach State University 4 over cap | 28 | $605k | $21,596 | 990 | vs | |
| University of California, San Diego 5 over cap | 29 | $585k | $20,188 | — | vs | |
| University of California, Irvine 3 over cap | 27 | $530k | $19,628 | 981 | vs | |
| California State University, Fullerton room for 2 | 22 | $495k | $22,485 | — | vs |
Every Big West Conference men's water polo program · Men's Water Polo budgets ranked