The Florida Gators are one of the top men’s college basketball teams in the nation heading into the 2025 NCAA tournament, but it’s been a while since the Rowdy Reptiles had championship expectations.
You have to go back nearly 20 years to get to Florida’s most recent national title. The landscape of college hoops was much different then, but the Gators were a dominant force.
Florida’s back-to-back championship teams are considered not just the best teams in program history, but some of the best teams in the history of college basketball.
Not too shabby for a “football school.”
So let’s rewind the clocks and take a look back on the Gators’ last championships.
When Did Florida Last Win the NCAA Tournament?
Florida was an absolute force during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. The Gators went 68–11 during that span and won back-to-back national championships.
Head coach Billy Donovan was in his 10th season in 2005 and had led the Gators to seven-straight NCAA tournament appearances, including a title game berth in 2000.
However, the Gators failed to win more than one NCAA tournament game in any year after that, despite winning at least 20 games in each season.
There was a bit of pressure mounting. But Donovan and the Gators answered the call.
In October 2003, the Gators got plenty of good news on the recruiting trail. Donovan signed three four-star players and one three-star: Joakim Noah out of New York, Al Horford out of Michigan, Corey Brewer from Tennessee and Taurean Green from Florida.
Those four would go on to become the beating heart of the championship teams to come.
The 2005–06 season was the sophomore campaign for the quartet, but they played well above their class.
Florida started the season on a 17-game winning streak before dropping six of its next 11, including a three-game losing streak. The final loss was on the road against Alabama on Feb. 26, 2006. With the loss, the Gators dropped to No. 17 in the nation.
They wouldn’t lose another game.
Florida won back-to-back games to close the regular season before winning the SEC tournament. On that Selection Sunday, it was revealed that Florida had earned a No. 3 seed.
The Gators then proceeded to blow out every opponent (except Georgetown in the Sweet 16) en route to the national championship.
Entering the following season as the defending champions, all eyes were on the Gators. After starting the season as the No. 1 team in the nation, Florida went on a six-game winning streak before losing two of the next three.
Now ranked No. 7, the Gators went on a 17-game winning streak highlighted by victories over No. 3 Ohio State and No. 18 Kentucky.
Florida again stumbled down the stretch, dropping three of its final five games (all on the road). Still, Noah, Horford, Brewer and Green were excellent. The four all averaged 12 points or more and were known for playing a viciously effective defense.
Still, the Gators were the heavy favorites to win the SEC tournament, which is precisely what happened.
Florida won each game in the SEC tournament by at least 17 points, entering the NCAA tournament as a No. 1 seed. The Gators weren’t quite as dominant in March Madness as they were the year prior, but they got the job done time and time again.
Florida dispatched UCLA (the team it defeated the year prior in the national championship game) in the Final Four before taking on No. 1 Ohio State in a rematch from the regular season.
The Gators jumped out to an 11-point lead at halftime, cruising the final 20 minutes and cutting down the nets.
Full List of Florida’s NCAA Championships
The back-to-back titles Florida earned in 2006 and 2007 are the only two championships for the program.
How Florida Has Performed Since Its Last Title
One cannot overstate the difficulty of winning a national championship, let alone winning two in a row.
However, things turned relatively quickly for the Gators.
After winning those championships, Florida spent the next two postseasons playing in the NIT, missing out on the NCAA tournament entirely.
The Gators made the NCAA tournament in 2010, but fell in the opening round to Jimmer Fredette and the BYU Cougars.
After the quick exit, Florida found its groove again. The Gators made three-straight Elite Eight appearances (2011, 2012, 2013), and then made the Final Four in 2014. After a disappointing 2014–15 saw the Gators finish under .500 for the first time since 1997–98, Donovan left Florida.
Can Florida Win Another NCAA Championship in 2025?
The Gators were ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP Poll and steadily climbed the rankings all season long, eventually peaking at No. 2.
As the NCAA tournament approaches, Florida is considered one of the favorites to win it all.
Time will tell.
Read More About March Madness
This article was originally published on www.si.com as When Is the Last Time Florida Won the NCAA Tournament? Full List of Gators’ Championships.
