UCLA’s Chase + Ryder Dodd: You Play the Best to be the Best

PRINCETON, NJ. Over the last decade UCLA men’s water polo team has routinely made early season visits East. But this year’s cross-country trip was something special, even for the nation’s top ranked team and defending NCAA champions. They came to New York City for a match against Pro Recco, the world’s most recognizable—and successful—polo club.

The clash of two of the biggest brands in their respective universes—Recco has won 11 Champions League titles, Europe’s top professional league, while the Bruins represent an unmatched standard for NCAA athletics (can you say: “John Wooden”?)—was a marketers’ dream.

For UCLA, it was a match they had little chance of winning. Even sporting brothers Chase and Ryan Dodd, members of the Bronze-winning US men’s team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Bruins were never a threat to the professionals of Recco, dropping a 16-11 decision.

[Pros vs. College Kids Brought Attention to New York City Water Polo]

Before returning to California—and more winning against college opponents—the Dodds and their Bruin teammates detoured to Princeton, New Jersey for a match against Fordham, last season’s Cinderella story, and other local teams. SW caught up with Chase and Ryan on the pool deck of Princeton’s DiNunzio Pool.

The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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You played last week against Pro Recco. What was that like?

Chase Dodd: Team-wise, there's a lot of the guys first time playing against professional players and playing at that level. So, it was a good experience for us. But for me and Chase, it's different because we've already played at that level before. Obviously, we haven't played a club team like that. So that was a great experience playing against [Pro Recco] players.

Not to put too much on this, but can you imagine continuing your career in Europe? That's the only place where professional polo exists.

[Chase] Yeah, for sure. I want to go to the Olympics in LA in our hometown, so [if] I got to go there for two years, it would be a good experience. Me and my little brother before the Olympics, we went to Brescia [in Italy] and practiced there for a couple months. We know how it is.

Ryder Dodd: To be able to play Pro Recco in a new environment is good for water polo, but it's also good for our team. It's a big building experience. [Recco is] the world’s top team. If we're able to hang with them, it gives us motivation [when] playing against all these other college teams. That means us as one college and a lot of other colleges can hold that level and be able to sustain with top pro teams.

It gives us motivation, and it gives that eye opening [view] okay, yeah, water polo is growing in the United States. It's getting good.

You just played the team that last year was collegiate water polo’s breakout star. At one point, Fordham was ranked number one in the country. But UCLA cruised to a 16-9 win. Is it true that the East is rising? Can teams like Fordham and Princeton challenge California’s best?

[Chase] I think the East Coast is a great option, especially [local] colleges, they're bringing a lot more foreigners from everywhere.

The East Coast is way closer [to Europe] than California. Having all these guys come in and play raises the level of college water polo. And it allows us as the US to be able to fight in the Olympics and World [Championships] and gives us motivation. Plus, it makes games a lot more entertaining.

We love it when there's teams like Princeton, Fordham, Harvard… teams that challenge us. That's what we need. That's what the sport needs to grow. And that's also what we need to make NCAAs interesting.

Do you see Fordham or Princeton in an NCAA final anytime soon? You probably know this, but no Eastern team has ever advanced to an NCA final on the men's or women's side.

[Ryder] Yeah, I think in upcoming years. Fordham has a lot of freshmen right now, so the next couple of years they'll be good. A lot of these foreigners can't exactly pay the entire [tuition]. So now with the unlimited scholarships and new rules, schools like Fordham, Princeton, and others have an opportunity to give money to the players that give them a better chance of going to the NCAA tournament.

In a few years’ time they'll have a chance at the title. But we'll see. They’re a young team.

New York City, you've been here before, but going with your teammates, some of whom have never been here, perhaps, how was that experience?

[Ryder] Me and Chase have never been to New York.

I've flown through here, but I mean, the first time, it's incredible. I've never been in this type of city before with this many people; the atmosphere is unmatched. There's so many things happening, so much to do. That was really cool for us as a team, to know there's a lot going on in the world—and it's not as small as you think.

Will you come back?

[Chase] If I get a chance? Hell yeah. The atmosphere we had in the Recco game was great. Watching the FTC - Pro Recco game the next day was cool. Maybe not the shootouts, maybe not the spotlights and the shooters, but besides that, it was great to make it exciting.

[Water Polo Match to Remember Closes Out Pro Recco 2025 World Tour]

It's a great experience. It's good for us. It's good to come to a big city, play a new atmosphere, play a new place. The travel, it's always something good to learn.

We loved being out here. We leave tonight but wish we could stay longer.