The IU water polo program made a splash Friday when it was announced it will join the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
The conference is widely considered the strongest in the country for water polo. Each member school finished ranked in the top 20 in the country last season, including each of the top five teams.
As the newest member of the MPSF, the Hoosiers will square off against the likes of the University of Southern California, Stanford, California, Arizona State, San Jose State and the University of California, Los Angeles, bringing some of the best college competition to the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.
"The MPSF is the toughest league in the world, far tougher than any professional leagues," IU Coach Ryan Castle said in a press release. “The teams we will face take water polo very seriously and have a strong history in the sport. It's a daily challenge for us, and meeting these teams in a conference setting changes the dynamic, but we relish in the task at hand."
IU has established itself as one of the top programs in the country, winning 20 games in 16 seasons since the program's establishment. Last season, the Hoosiers finished with a 25-9 record, ranking as the No. 15 team in the nation.
IU will begin competition in the MPSF during the 2019 spring season.
Auston Matricardi
