It’s official: The Florida Gators are national champions!
The Florida Gators are back on top of men’s college basketball, capturing their third NCAA national championship and their first since going back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.
Led by Walter Clayton Jr. and Alex Condon, Florida powered through its deepest tournament run in over a decade — but it was Will Richard who stepped up in the biggest game of the season, dropping 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting to lead the Gators to victory.
There’s no better way to commemorate this historic March Madness run than by repping the champs.
Where to buy Florida Gators NCAA March Madness merchandise:
Check out the official Gator Sportshop for all your favorite Florida national championship gearor go to FloridaGators.com for official merchandise links and fan shop access.
Celebrate the Gators' championship win with t-shirts, hoodies, hats, polos, and throwback styles. Deck out your space with custom drinking glasses, flags, towels, and even customized bracket plaques to relive this unforgettable season.
Florida came into the championship game knowing they had to contend with Houston’s suffocating defense — and it showed early. The Gators held their only lead of the first half at 8–6, before L.J. Cryer and Emmanuel Sharp helped the Cougars control the tempo. Despite a clutch three from Will Richard, Florida went into halftime trailing 28–31.
Houston came out firing in the second half, going on an 11–2 run in the first five minutes to stretch the lead to double digits. But Florida didn’t fold. They stormed back, erasing a 12-point deficit to tie the game with 7:31 remaining.
The final stretch became a free-throw battle, and it was Florida who capitalized. A clutch trip to the line gave them their first lead since the game’s opening minutes, 64–63.
With Houston down one and the shot clock winding down, they looked to Emmanuel Sharp for a final attempt. But the play unraveled — Sharp hesitated, failed to get a shot off, and turned it over as Alex Condon swooped in for the steal, securing Florida’s national title.