The Spieker Aquatics Center is a 2,500-capacity stadium in

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used by

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

, and

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), ...

teams. The $14-million center was built in 2009 and is named for Tod and Catherine Spieker. Tod was a student-athlete at UCLA, competing from 1968 to 1971 in swimming. The Dirks Pool at Spieker Aquatics Center is named after Carolyn Dirks. The athletic teams using the facilities have won 20 NCAA national championships. Men's swimming and diving won in 1982; men's water polo team were champions in 1969, 1971–72, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2004, 2014–15 and 2017; and the women's water polo team captured the

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in 2001, 2003, 2005–09 and 2024. The center features a 52-meter, all deep water pool with a diving bulkhead; platform for diving as well as one-meter and three-meter boards; men's and women's locker rooms; permanent seating for 800 people, with the ability to seat 1,700 additional spectators in temporary seating; and a "Wall of Champions" showcasing accomplishments of past teams. It also has an 8'6" x 15'6" video display board.

Notable events

The 2010 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship Tournament was held April 30-May 2, 2010 at the Spieker Aquatics Center. In 2011, the

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National Diving Championships were held at the center (August 9–14). 125 divers competed for 10 national titles and to represent the

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at the

2011 Pan American Games The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games () and commonly known as Guadalajara 2011, were an international multi-sport event held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby c ...

. Athletes also qualified for the 2012 US Olympic Team Trials.

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and

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broadcast the championships from Westwood. Olympian diver Dr. Sammy Lee was the awards presenter. The 2011 MPSF Men's Water Polo Championship Tournament was held at UCLA from November 25 through November 27. The USA Men's water polo team held a training game vs. the Hungary team at the Spieker Aquatics Center on May 31, 2012, prior to the

2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. In 2015, the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was held on December 6, 2015, and the UCLA Bruins defeated the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ...

10–7 for their second consecutive national title. The 2016 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship was held at Spieker Aquatics Center. The

2016 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship The 2016 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship was the 16th annual tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA women's collegiate water polo. Tournament matches were played at the UCLA Spieker Aquatics Center in Los Angeles, California ...

was held May 13–15, 2016, with the USC Trojans defeating the Stanford Cardinal, 8–7. Also the 2021 NCAA Women's Water Polo Championship took place at the aquatics center. The 2021 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was held December 4–5, 2021, California defeated USC 13-12 for the national championship. The 2024 MPSF Men's Water Polo Championship Tournament was held at UCLA from November 22 through November 24, 2024. The 2025 MPSF Women's Water Polo Championship Tournament was held at UCLA from April 25 through April 27, 2005.

References

External links

* {{UCLA College swimming venues in the United States Swimming venues in Los Angeles UCLA Bruins swimming and diving UCLA Bruins water polo University of California, Los Angeles buildings and structures Sports venues completed in 2009 2009 establishments in California