For just the second time in NCAA tournament history, all four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four. Any would-be Cinderella stories or underdog teams were stomped out early, leaving the powerhouses to clash for a shot at the national championship.
Neither semifinal game was won easily. The Houston Cougars emerged victorious over the Duke Blue Devils after a suffocating defensive performance led to a thrilling comeback. The Cougars erased a 14-point deficit while holding Duke to just one field goal over the final ten minutes of the game. The Florida Gators dispatched the Auburn Tigers in a SEC clash largely due to the heroics of All-American point guard Walter Clayton Jr., who scored 34 points to clinch Florida’s first title berth since 2007.
Florida and Houston will meet in the national championship for their first matchup in over 50 years. Houston owns a 2-0 record against Florida, the last of which was a 97-73 victory in 1973. This time around, the outcome will be determined by a battle of an unstoppable force against an immovable object.
What time does Florida vs. Houston start for the national championship?
The 2025 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game will tip off at 8:50 p.m. ET/7:50 p.m. CT as Florida and Houston do battle for a title. It's somewhat of a late start to the title game, though that is the case every year for championship Monday, but that won't stop fans of the Gators and Cougars from tuning in hopes of seeing their favorite team cut down the nets.
2025 NCAA Men's Championship Game: Florida vs. Houston matchup
The high-scoring Gators are third in the country with 85.3 points per game. On their way to the championship, Florida out-dueled several of their opponents in shootouts. Clayton is averaging over 25 points per game and has a propensity to shine brightest in the biggest moments of the game.
Houston has a balanced offensive attack, but their game will be about suffocating Clayton and the Gators. Duke has three projected top-10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, but Houston's top-ranked defense held the Blue Devils to 67 points, their second-fewest point total this season. The Cougars' defensive style has led to some close finishes, including a last-second game-winning score against Tennessee in the Elite Eight. A close game could come down to the ball in Clayton's hands against Houston's defense in the final moments.
2025 NCAA Men's Championship Game: Date, time, TV channel
- Date: Monday, April 7
- Time: 8:50 p.m. ET
- Location: Alamodome in San Antonio, TX
- TV Channel: CBS, Paramount+
The NCAA Championship will also be available to stream on YouTube TV, CBS.com, the CBS mobile app or on NCAA's March Madness Live.
Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson and Florida head coach Todd Golden are both looking for their first national championships as a head coach. Florida won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007, but Houston is searching for its first taste of glory. The Cougars made it to the championship round in 1983 and 1984 but fell short both times.