Ayrton Oneill
The Florida Gators are the winners of the 2025 NCAA men's basketball championship, beating the Houston Cougars to take home their third national title. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament is held annually and determines the champion of Division I, the highest level of play in the NCAA. The tournament has been held annually since 1939, except for 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2025 |
| Championship | NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament |
| Winner | Florida Gators |
| Runner-up | Houston Cougars |
| Winner's title count | Third national title |
| Runner-up's title count | N/A |
| Tournament nickname | March Madness |
| Number of teams in the tournament | 68 |
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What You'll Learn
Who won the 2025 NCAA Tournament?
The 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament that determined the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I men's college basketball national champion for the 2024–25 season. The 86th annual edition of the tournament began on March 18, 2025, and concluded on April 7 with the championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Florida won the 2025 NCAA Tournament, defeating Houston 65–63 in the championship game. This was Florida's third title and its first since 2007. The 2025 tournament had very few upsets, with only four upsets total, three in the first round, and one in the second. All 12 games of the regional semifinals and finals were won by the higher-seeded team. As a result, the Elite Eight featured four #1 seeds, three #2 seeds, and one #3 seed. This tied it with 2007 as the lowest seed total for an Elite Eight in tournament history.
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) broke the record for the most bids earned to the tournament, with 14 of the 16 teams qualifying. Each regional final game had an SEC team playing. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) had historic lows, with only four teams earning bids—the smallest percentage since the tournament expansion in 1975. Big South champion High Point, Big West champion UC San Diego, Ohio Valley champion SIU Edwardsville, and Summit League champion Omaha made their tournament debuts.
Looking ahead to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, ESPN has released early projections, with St. John's, coming off one of their best seasons in school history, projected as the No. 1 seed. The South also has BYU, coming off a great season, at No. 2, while Florida, the defending national champions, are at No. 3.
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Which team has the most NCAA titles?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament that determines the champion of Division I, the highest level of play in the NCAA. The tournament has been held annually since 1939, except for 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Out of more than 350 Division I men's basketball schools, only 15 teams have won multiple national championships. UCLA leads the list with 11 titles, followed by Kentucky with eight. North Carolina and UConn are tied for third place with six championships each, while Duke and Indiana have won five each.
UCLA's dominance in the '60s and '70s is particularly notable, with the Bruins achieving an overall record of 335-22 (a win percentage of .938) over 12 years and picking up 10 national championships, including seven in a row. UConn also holds a prestigious record, having won all six of the championship games they have appeared in.
While the UCLA Bruins have not won a national championship in 19 years, Kentucky last won 12 years ago. North Carolina won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007, and they added a third title in 2025. Connecticut are the most recent champions, having won consecutive tournaments in 2023 and 2024.
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Which coach has the most NCAA titles?
The last NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament was won by Connecticut, who beat Purdue in the 2024 final. This was Connecticut's second consecutive championship win, having defeated San Diego State to take the title in 2023.
NCAA-winning coaches
The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament has been held annually since 1939, except for 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Oregon won the first tournament, beating Ohio State 46-33.
John Wooden is the coach with the most NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship wins. He won 10 championships coaching UCLA during their period of success in the 1960s and 1970s. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is second with five championship wins.
More recently, Self has won multiple championships, winning with Kansas in 2008 and 2022. Rick Pitino has also won multiple championships, with Kentucky in 1996 and Louisville in 2013. However, Louisville's 2013 championship win was vacated by the NCAA following a sex scandal involving recruits. Hurley is the newest member of the championship-winning coaches' club, leading UConn to back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024.
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Which teams have won consecutive NCAA titles?
The last basketball championship, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, was won by Connecticut, who defeated Purdue in the final. This was their second consecutive win, having defeated San Diego State in the 2023 tournament.
Since the NCAA took stewardship of the college basketball national championship in 1939, only one program has won three consecutive championships: UCLA, from 1967-73. This was a highly successful period for UCLA, who won 10 national championships between 1964 and 1975, achieving a win percentage of .938.
UCLA's seven-year championship streak is unmatched, but there have been other teams that have won back-to-back championships. Florida became the first team to do so since Duke in 1991 and 1992, winning consecutive championships in 2006 and 2007. Kentucky also won two consecutive championships in 1948 and 1949.
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What is the NCAA Tournament?
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the Division I level in the NCAA. It is one of the most anticipated and watched events in all of sports. The tournament has been played annually since 1939, except for 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tournament consists of 68 teams, 32 of which receive automatic bids for winning their respective conferences. The remaining 36 teams are given at-large bids by the NCAA selection committee based on their performance during the season. Once the field is set, the teams are divided into four regions and placed into a bracket that outlines the path a team must take to reach the finals. Each team is seeded or ranked within its region, from 1 to 16. Higher-seeded teams generally play lower-seeded teams in the beginning. For example, in the first round, each team seeded #1 plays the team seeded #16.
The first and second rounds are played during the first weekend, the regional semifinals and regional finals during the second weekend, and the national semifinals and championship game during the third weekend. The regional rounds are branded as the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight, and the third weekend is branded as the Final Four, all named after the number of teams remaining at the beginning of the round. All games, including the First Four, are scheduled so that teams will have one rest day between each game.
The NCAA Tournament is also known as March Madness or The Big Dance. It is often described as one of the greatest annual sporting events in the US, known for its upsets of favoured teams.
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Frequently asked questions
The Florida Gators won the 2025 NCAA basketball championship, defeating the Houston Cougars.
John Wooden is the coach with the most NCAA basketball championship wins, having won 10 championships while coaching UCLA in the 1960s and 1970s.
As of 2011, 68 teams participate in the NCAA basketball championship.
