Andrew Pace
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team has won the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship. The Cavaliers won their first-ever national championship in 2019, facing No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the title game. They have been the Cavaliers since 1923, competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in Division I of the NCAA.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of winning the national championship | 2019 |
| Name of the team | Virginia Cavaliers |
| League | Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) |
| Opponent in the final | Texas Tech Red Raiders |
| Final score | 85-77 |
| Player of the game | De'Andre Hunter |
| Player of the tournament | Kyle Guy |
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What You'll Learn
Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball programme representing the University of Virginia. The team plays home games at the on-campus John Paul Jones Arena, which opened in 2006 and has a capacity of 14,623. They have been known as the Cavaliers since 1923, predating the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers by 50 years.
Virginia was a top college basketball programme in the early 20th century under the tutelage of Pop Lannigan from 1905 to 1929. Lannigan led the Cavaliers to a perfect record of 17–0 in 1914–15 and a Southern Conference title in its inaugural season of 1921–22. The team continued to be a consistent winner under multi-sport coach Gus Tebell from 1930 to 1951, but the Cavaliers struggled through the 1950s and 1960s before Terry Holland arrived in 1974 to win their first ACC Championship and earn their first NCAA tournament appearance in his second year.
The Cavaliers appeared in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in 2008, finishing with a 2–1 record. They have appeared in the NCAA tournament 26 times, with a combined record of 35–25. Virginia won the NCAA Tournament Championship in 2019, defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders 85–77. The Cavaliers have been ranked in the Top 5 of the AP Poll more than 100 times since 1980 and have earned seven No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.
Virginia has not won an NCAA tournament game since the 2019 national championship, becoming the first champion to fail to win a game in the following five seasons in the expanded tourney era (since 1985). In March 2025, Ryan Odom was named the new head coach of the Cavaliers after Bennett's surprise retirement.
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2019 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship
The 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was the 81st annual edition of the tournament. It began on March 19, 2019, and concluded with the championship game on April 8. 68 teams played in a single-elimination tournament to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball national champion for the 2018-19 season.
Four teams out of 353 in Division I were ineligible to participate in the 2019 tournament: Alabama A&M and Florida A&M failed to meet APR requirements, while California Baptist and North Alabama were in the process of reclassification from Division II. The tournament seeds and regions were determined through the NCAA basketball tournament selection process.
The 2019 tournament saw five upsets, all of which occurred in the first round. In their first Final Four, the Red Raiders defeated the East Regional champions, No. 2 seed Michigan State, 61-51, to reach their first-ever NCAA title game.
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team represents the University of Virginia. The school competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in Division I of the NCAA. The Cavaliers earned a No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament, where they defeated No. 8 seed NC State before losing to No. 4 seed Florida State. In the 2019 NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers earned a No. 1 seed and defeated Purdue to advance to the championship game.
The National Championship match was between Virginia and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, two of the top defences in college basketball. Virginia scored in the closing seconds to force overtime, eventually outscoring Texas Tech 17-9 in the extra period to win their first national title, 85-77. Virginia ended the season with a 35-3 record, breaking the school record for wins in a single season. Kyle Guy was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
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UVA's first-ever national championship
The University of Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team won its first-ever NCAA Division I basketball national championship in 2019. The team, also known as the Hoos, faced the No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders in the title game. The Cavaliers built multiple double-digit leads, but the Red Raiders fought back, and the game went into overtime. The Hoos outscored Texas Tech 17–9 in the extra period to win their first national title 85–77.
The Cavaliers' victory was described as "the most redemptive season in the history of college basketball" by ESPN. This was due to the team's historic loss to a former UVA ballboy, Ryan Odom, and his 16-seed UMBC in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The 2019 championship was also the program's first-ever NCAA championship.
The Cavaliers have been a top basketball program since the early days of college basketball. They were coached by Pop Lannigan from 1905 to 1929 and consistently won under multi-sport coach Gus Tebell from 1930 to 1951. The team has been ranked in the Top 5 of the AP Poll more than 100 times since 1980 and has earned seven No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.
The 2019 championship win was a memorable moment for UVA fans, completing what commentators called an "ultimate redemption story". The Cavaliers ended the season with a 35–3 record, breaking the school record for wins in a single season.
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Cavaliers' redemption story
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team has had its fair share of triumphs and setbacks, but their 2019 NCAA Tournament Championship run stands out as an extraordinary redemption story.
The Cavaliers, representing the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), have a rich basketball history. They enjoyed early success under coaches Pop Lannigan and Gus Tebell but struggled in the 1950s and 1960s.
The 2018-19 season, however, presented the Cavaliers with an opportunity to rewrite their narrative. The previous year, they had suffered a historic loss to a former UVA ball boy, Ryan Odom, and his UMBC team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed. This setback could have defined them, but instead, it fueled their determination for the following season.
The 2018-19 campaign saw the Cavaliers embark on a remarkable journey. They faced challenging opponents and experienced thrilling games, including a come-from-behind victory over Purdue in the tournament. Their resilience and determination culminated in the National Championship game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders, one of the top defenses in college basketball.
The title game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading leads. Texas Tech, led by Jarrett Culver, posed a formidable challenge. However, the Cavaliers showed their mettle, and with crucial plays in the closing seconds, they forced the game into overtime. In the extra period, Virginia outscored Texas Tech 17-9, ultimately claiming their first-ever NCAA Tournament Championship with a final score of 85-77.
This redemption story captured the imagination of sports fans and commentators alike. ESPN hailed Virginia's championship run as "the most redemptive season in the history of college basketball." The Cavaliers' triumph, breaking a school record for wins in a single season, served as a testament to their perseverance and talent.
The 2019 victory marked a pivotal moment in the history of the Virginia Cavaliers, showcasing their ability to rise from adversity and claim the ultimate prize in college basketball. It stands as a reminder that setbacks can be overcome and that redemption is always within reach.
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Cavaliers' history and performance
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team represents the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Cavaliers have a rich history in college basketball, dating back to 1923, half a century before the establishment of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers.
Under the coaching of Pop Lannigan from 1905 to 1929, and multi-sport coach Gus Tebell from 1930 to 1951, the Cavaliers enjoyed early success, establishing themselves as a top program in college basketball. However, the team struggled during the 1950s and 1960s, before experiencing a resurgence in subsequent decades.
The Cavaliers have been ranked in the Top 5 of the AP Poll more than 100 times since 1980 and have earned seven No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. They play their home games at the on-campus John Paul Jones Arena, which opened in 2006 and has a capacity of 14,623.
The Cavaliers' road to their first NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship in 2019 was filled with both setbacks and triumphs. In 2018, they suffered a historic loss to UMBC, becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, they bounced back the following year, winning the NCAA Tournament and claiming their first-ever National Championship. This redemption story was hailed by ESPN as "the most redemptive season in the history of college basketball."
The 2019 National Championship game was a close contest between the Cavaliers and the Texas Tech Red Raiders, two of the top defenses in college basketball at the time. Virginia ultimately prevailed with a final score of 85-77 in overtime, thanks to a strong second-half performance from De'Andre Hunter, who was later drafted fourth in the 2019 NBA draft.
Since their historic championship win, the Cavaliers have failed to replicate their success in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first champion to not win a game in the following five seasons in the expanded tourney era (since 1985). Despite this recent drought, the Cavaliers' 2019 victory remains a memorable moment in the team's history.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Virginia won the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship in 2019.
Virginia beat Texas Tech 85-77 in the 2019 championship game.
The coach of the Virginia Cavaliers during their 2019 championship run was Tony Bennett.
Kyle Guy was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2019.
Yes, University of Virginia sports teams have won a total of 34 NCAA team national championships in various sports such as soccer, lacrosse, swimming & diving, and tennis.
