The 2025 NCAA tournament has not been about Cinderella teams and underdog stories. Instead, the powerhouse programs have dominated the field. All four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four for just the second time in NCAA history. Of those four teams, the Florida Gators were among the favorites to win the championship.
The Florida Gators entered the NCAA tournament as one of the four No. 1 seeds. A record 14 SEC teams made the tournament, but only seven advanced to the Sweet 16 and only four made it to the Elite Eight. Now, Florida has an opportunity to bring the title back to the SEC for the first time since Kentucky won it in 2012.
Led by All-American point guard Walter Clayton Jr., the Gators have fielded the third ranked offense and won 11 consecutive games. Florida outlasted several of their opponents in shootouts, but they’ll face a difficult test against the Houston Cougars’ top-ranked defense in the title game.
Florida’s history in the NCAA Tournament
Florida made its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1987 and made it all the way to the Sweet 16. They made their inaugural Final Four appearance in 1994, but ultimately fell short against Duke. The hiring of Billy Donovan two years later helped reshape the future of the program. Under Donovan’s guidance, the Gators made 14 tournament appearances, four Final Four appearances, and three championship appearances.
Florida made a run to the title game as the No. 5 seed in the 2000 tournament but ultimately suffered a 89-76 loss against Michigan State. A few years later, Donovan guided his team back to the championship.
When was the last time Florida won the NCAA tournament championship?
The Gators won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. Florida entered the 2006 tournament as the No. 3 seed but won the championship with a dominant 73-57 victory over UCLA. The following year, the Gators entered the tournament as a No. 1 seed and successfully defended their title with a 84-75 victory against Ohio State in the championship game.
The championship tilt on Monday night will be Florida’s fourth overall appearance in the championship game, and their first shot at a national title since they became back-to-back champions in 2007.
After those championships, the Gators only made it back to the Final Four in 2014. They fell short of the championship game that year, but capitalized on the opportunity this time around. After an 18-year absence from the championship, second-year head coach Todd Golden will try to bring a third championship to Florida.