.jpg)
17 hours ago
3
This year's Final Four is set to be thrilling, as all four No. 1 seeds will vie for the title.
Among that group is Florida, who had a rejuvenated year in Todd Golden's second season as head coach. The Gators are 34-4 and won the SEC tournament, which helped them earn the fourth and final No. 1 seed in the tournament.
The Gators may not be a blue blood, but they do have some history playing in the national semifinals over the past three decades. Florida's return to the national spotlight is a familiar place for a program that quickly rose to prominence in the 2000s.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Ahead of Florida's Final Four matchup against Auburn, here is a look back at how the Gators have performed in the the national semifinals.
Florida basketball championship history
Has Florida ever won a national championship?
Florida is a two-time national championship program, and they both came in back-to-back years.
In 2006 and 2007, the Gators won back-to-back titles, first as a No. 3 seed then as a No. 1 seed. Both Florida teams featured the same prominent players, as the Gators' entire starting lineup returned after winning its first title.
The best players on those Florida team included some NBA-caliber players, as Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer were among the Gators to win two titles. Additionally, Billy Donovan became the seventh of now eight coaches in college basketball to win two-straight national titles.
SN's MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more
Florida Final Four history
Florida's first ever Final Four came in 1994, when Lon Kruger led the team to the national semifinals as a No. 3 seed. That team ran into a strong Duke team in the Final Four, ending the Gators' first deep NCAA Tournament prematurely.
Kruger left Florida to coach Illinois in 1996, so the program hired 30-year-old Billy Donovan, who had just spent two years coaching Marshall, as his replacement. Donovan would immediately find success, making the Sweet 16 in his third season and leading Florida to the national title game in 2000, where the Gators lost to Michigan State.
From 1999 to 2007, Donovan led Florida to eight-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, which included back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2006 and 2007. That is also when the Gators won their first and only two national titles, going 68-11 over two seasons and defeating UCLA, and then Ohio State in the title game.
SN's AWARDS: 2024-25 All-Americans | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
The Florida program took a minor step back after the two championships, but it returned to the Final Four in 2014 as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. However, the Gators were upset in the Final Four, as UConn beat them on their way to another championship run.
| Year | Coach | Result |
| 2025 | Todd Golden | TBD |
| 2014 | Billy Donovan | L, Final Four |
| 2007 | Billy Donovan | W, National Championship |
| 2006 | Billy Donovan | W, National Championship |
| 2000 | Billy Donovan | L, National Championship |
| 1994 | Lon Kruger | L, Final Four |
MORE 2025 NBA DRAFT NEWS
- Sporting News' latest 2025 NBA mock draft
- Ranking top 60 players on 2025 NBA Draft big board
- Ranking top 10 NBA Draft prospects in March Madness
When was Florida's last Final Four appearance?
It has been 11 years since Florida's last Final Four appearance, the longest drought for the program since making its first in 1994.
Florida was the best team in the 2013-14 regular season, earning a top seed in the tournament, which was also the last time the Gators were a No. 1 seed until this year. After winning the South regional and earning a Final Four bid, Florida was set up to potentially win its third national title.
Meanwhile, UConn had other ideas. The Huskies upset the Gators in the Final Four behind Shabazz Napier, before UConn would ultimately win the national title. After that loss, the Gators would struggle to find success in the tournament, making the second weekend just once over the last decade.
MORE MARCH MADNESS NEWS:
English (US)