California defeated UC Irvine in the final, 8–6, to win their fourth national title. This was a rematch of the 1973, 1974, and 1975 finals, all won by the Golden Bears.
The leading scorer for the tournament was Scott Schulte from Bucknell (14 goals). Gary Figueroa, from UC Irvine, was named the Most Outstanding Player. An All-Tournament Team, consisting of seven players, was also named.
Qualification
Since there has only ever been one single national championship for water polo, all NCAA men's water polo programs (whether from Division I, Division II, or Division III) were eligible. A total of 8 teams were invited to contest this championship.