As the Florida Gators prepare to face off against the Houston Cougars in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship game tonight, it’s time the college basketball world gives Florida the recognition it deserves. Whether the Gators cut down the nets or not, they have proven beyond a doubt that they are a blue blood of the modern era.
Since their first Final Four appearance in 1994, the Gators have rewritten the narrative around their program. Now making their sixth Final Four and fourth national championship game appearance, Florida has accomplished more in the last three decades than many traditional powers did across half a century. Their journey includes two national championships (2006 and 2007) and a golden opportunity to capture a third.
Here’s why Florida’s claim to elite status is more than justified:
- More Final Fours since 1994 than blue blood programs like Indiana and UCLA.
- More national title appearances since 2000 than Duke and Kentucky.
- Tied with Kansas for four national championship appearances since 2000.
- Final Four trips under three different head coaches, showing institutional strength, not just coaching brilliance.
- Their six Final Four appearances since 1994 rank sixth nationally.
Critics may point to Florida’s relative youth compared to programs that thrived in the black-and-white TV era, but that’s no reason to dismiss the Gators’ brilliance on the modern hardwood. The game has evolved, and Florida has been at the forefront of that evolution—consistently competing, recruiting, and winning at the highest level.
If Todd Golden leads this 2025 squad to the title, the Gators will enter a rarefied tier, tied for eighth all-time in men’s basketball championships. But even without that, the program’s resume speaks volumes.
So while other fanbases may cling to ancient banners, Florida fans can proudly say: We didn’t just inherit greatness—we built it, earned it, and we’re still rising.
The Gator standard is here to stay. Blue and orange isn’t just our color—it’s the hue of modern basketball royalty.
