When EA Sports released its highly anticipated College Football 25 video game, one of its game modes – “Road To Glory” – allowed users to simulate different players’ storylines on their journey to college football’s summit.

Despite its virtual nature, the game accurately reflects the goals of many collegiate programs, even beyond football.

But some Bruins aren’t on a road to glory in 2025 – they are attempting to defend it.

After UCLA men’s water polo captured its fifth national championship – and 13th in program history – last season under coach Adam Wright, the team can repeat for the first time in a decade this season.

“The biggest thing that draws this season past the other seasons is the amount of competitiveness each team brings,” said sophomore attacker Ryder Dodd. “I think each team is better than they were last year, so they just bring a different edge.”

And Dodd will not be alone in the Bruins’ pursuits.

Six of UCLA’s seven leading scorers from last season remain on the roster. Former center/defender Nico Tierney, the only player who is no longer a student, was hired as an assistant coach in July. The Bruins have a unique opportunity to make another championship run, especially after avoiding major roster turnover.

This level of continuity fosters an integral sense of camaraderie in the locker room and in the water – a trait that underscores some of the all-time great sports teams.

“At UCLA, we have a brotherhood that’s hard to find at any other school,” Dodd said. “Along with that, we also train so hard together – every day – to play our best on the weekend.”

This proclaimed brotherhood runs below the surface, as family ties line the roster.

The 2024 championship squad boasted three sets of brothers – the Dodds, the Liechtys and the Larsens. All but former attacker Jack Larsen – redshirt junior utility Ben Larsen’s older brother – are still competing for UCLA.

Many of the team’s players also competed together in high school, with 11 Bruins sharing an alma mater with at least one other teammate, including Dodd, sophomore utility Bode Brinkema and redshirt freshman goalkeeper Joey Kent, who all graduated from JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California.

“Out of all teams, our team kind of stayed the same from last year, with a bunch of our guys graduating, but we kept the core group of guys together,” Dodd said. “That’s the biggest part I’m looking forward to.”

Despite the Bruins’ high retention from last season, a new crop of recruits can make a splash in an already young squad, replenishing the team’s few losses.

UCLA recruited a trio of attackers – Jackson Harlan, Zac Miller and Hayden O’Hare – to bolster an already potent offense that scored 15.9 goals per game last season. The Bruins’ offensive machine failed to reach double-digit points only once and netted 20-plus goals six times. Harlan and Miller both achieved all-section distinctions as seniors, and O’Hare was a First Team All-American.

Center defender Santino Rossi also joins the squad after earning First Team All-League honors. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Harper Gardner could split reps with redshirt sophomore goalie Nate Tauscher and Kent, after the departure of long-time starter Garret Griggs.

Wright may have challenges in balancing such a deep roster this season, but the sheer amount of options in his toolbox can make for devastating potential.

“We have to stay committed to our values of developing and continuing everyone on, no matter what year they’re in,” Wright said. “Every year is a new year. There have been instances where guys have started on NCAA championship teams and gotten passed. … We have a responsibility to every kid in our program to keep developing them.”

The Bruins will benefit from a busy offseason that saw virtually the entire team gain reps in international play. Brinkema said the experience exposed him to different styles of play and helped him improve his shooting.

The sophomore was part of a Bruin quartet that represented the United States at the 2025 World Aquatics U20 Championships in Croatia this past June, helping Team USA clinch silver – the men’s squad’s highest finish ever. The San Juan Capistrano local competed alongside Dodd – who earned tournament MVP honors – sophomore utility Peter Castillo and junior utility Ben Liechty.

Team USA was also entirely blue-and-gold blooded during the FISU World University Games in Germany this past July.

Although concerns of overexertion circulated, the Bruins focused on finding the right balance between adequate rest and honing their in-game skills.

“Unfortunately, because of how compacted everything is, sometimes you just can’t give them off the sheer amount of days you’d like to,” Wright said. “But those things are all thought out in advance – the discussions of how we’re going to manage the summers to make sure we’re putting ourselves in the best position in the fall.”

But Dodd stands out as the leader of this championship squad after representing UCLA at the inaugural MPSF Water Polo Media Day.

The Long Beach, California, local has already built an illustrious career at the ripe age of 19. ACWPC Player of the Year, MPSF Player of the Year, Peter J. Cutino Award winner and a 2024 Olympic bronze medal represent just the tip of Dodd’s iceberg of achievements.

The sophomore is UCLA’s leader both in and out of the water, and many consider him to be the face of college water polo. Dodd’s commitment to his craft is one that coaches and teammates gravitate towards and admire.

But with so much time left in his collegiate career, and a locker room firmly behind him, Dodd may help hoist another banner at Spieker Aquatics Center in 2025.

“His intensity, his desire to be the best – to have our team be the best – is unmatched,” Wright said. “The important thing is, as a group and as a staff, we have to support him, where he doesn’t feel like the weight of the world becomes year in and year out.”

The cards seem lined up for UCLA to repeat.

One could say anything short of a repeat national championship is a disappointment.

But one could also say that this is just the beginning of yet another road to glory for the Bruins. They have been here before, and they can do it again.

“We have a target on our back this year because we’re the defending champs,” Brinkema said. “It feels good, … but we know no matter what the situation is, we still need to perform and play like that didn’t happen. We just need to keep going.”