BRIDGEPORT, Pa. -- For the third time in as many years, varsity and collegiate club teams will clash in a common tournament for a title at the 2012 Men's Ivy Championship set for October 27-28 at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

Comprised of the varsity teams from Harvard University, Princeton University and Brown University, in addition to the club programs from the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Yale, Dartmouth College and Cornell University, the event marks the only time club and varsity programs in any sport crossover in championship competition.

It will mark the third time all of the Ivy League institutions will meet in the sport of water polo, and the first time a collegiate club program will host the tournament, following the past two season's Ivy Championships at Princeton and Harvard, respectively.  Last year, Brown defeated Princeton 16-5 in the title game at Harvard, while Columbia finished fourth to claim top honors among the club programs. 

The tournament's results did not reflect the final order of finish in the Collegiate Water Polo Association as Princeton claimed the varsity CWPA Eastern Championship, while Yale University, which placed sixth overall and third among the club programs, notched a runner-up mark at the National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).

CWPA Southern Division member/2012 CWPA Eastern Champion Princeton and Northern Division members Brown and Harvard should be favored to battle it out for the championship, although the club teams of Penn (Mid-Atlantic Division), Columbia (New York Division), Yale (New England Division), Dartmouth (New England Division) and Cornell (New York Division) could poise a challenge for the three varsity programs with upset potential.

Seeding for the championship was based on the order of finish among the varsity teams at the 2011 CWPA Eastern Championship, while the five club teams are seeded based on their order of finish at the 2011 Ivy Championship.  The club No. 3 and 4 seeds were switched at the request of the competing teams to prevent Columbia and Cornell, both of the New York Division, from meeting in the first round.  Based on the order of finish, Cornell should be the No. 4 seed with Yale in the No. 3 position. 

The name "Ivy Championship" is used with permission of the Council of Ivy League Presidents ("The Ivy League"). This event is organized by the Collegiate Water Polo Association, which is not affiliated with the Ivy League.

The name "Ivy Championship" is used with permission of the Council of Ivy Group Presidents ("The Ivy League").  This event is organized by the Collegiate Water Polo Association, which is not affiliated with the Ivy League.