Florida Receives No. 1 Seed In West Region Of NCAA Tournament

Florida was named the No. 1 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament, the selection committee announced Sunday evening.

The No. 4-ranked Gators (30-4) will open against No. 16 seed Norfolk State (24-10) in Raleigh, N. C., on Friday with a potential matchup against two-time reigning national champion UConn (23-10) in the second round. The eighth-seeded Huskies open against No. 9 seed Oklahoma (20-13) in a West Region that concludes in San Francisco. The Gators’ first-round game is set for a 6:50 p.m. ET start Friday on TNT from the Lenovo Center in Raleigh.

Florida could get a rematch with Oklahoma if the Sooners would beat UConn in Raleigh. UF beat Oklahoma 85-63 in Gainesville on Feb. 18.

UF captured a 1-seed for the third time in program history, previously doing so in 2007 (national champions) and 2014 (Final Four).

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Florida lost to Colorado in the first round last season, coach Todd Golden’s second in Gainesville.

Florida took down No. 21 Missouri, No. 5 Alabama and No. 8 Tennessee in consecutive days to win the SEC Tournament on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn., for the first time since 2014. The Gators are ranked No. 1 in the KenPom offensive efficiency ratings and 10 on defense.

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“Florida is the most complete team in the nation,” veteran CBS men’s college basketball analyst Clark Kellogg said on the selection show while picking the Gators to win the national title.

The Norfolk State Spartans earned their eighth NCAA Tournament bid after defeating South Carolina State, 66-65, in a thrilling 2025 MEAC Tournament Championship game.

Historically, No. 16-seeded teams have a record of 2-152 against No. 1 seeds in the men’s tournament.

The West Region, considered by analysts to be the toughest of the four, also includes second-seeded St. John’s, fresh off its first Big East tournament title since 2000, No. 3 Texas Tech, No. 4 Maryland and No. 7 Kansas.

The SEC had a record 14 teams make the tournament, with Auburn also getting a No. 1 seed in the South Region and Tennessee and Alabama nabbing No. 2 seeds. LSU and South Carolina were left out of the 68-team field because of their losing records.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Ticket Info

The deadline to place a ticket request is 1 p.m. Monday. General public ticket information is available at NCAATickets.com.

UF season ticket holders info here: NCAA Tournament Ticket Info for Season Ticket Holders