Gators Tournament Destination Revealed

The Florida Gators locked up the No. 1 seed in the West Region and will play No. 16 Norfolk State on Friday.

Florida head coach Todd Golden celebrates their win over Tennessee after the Southeastern Conference tournament championship at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, March 16, 2025. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Florida Gators' destination for the NCAA Tournament has been revealed.

Hours after clinching the SEC Tournament with a win over Tennessee, the Gators have clinched the No. 1 seed in the West Region, good for the No. 4 overall seed in the entire NCAA Tournament, and will play No. 16 Norfolk on Friday in Raleigh, North Carolina beginning at 6:50 p.m. Television coverage can be found on TNT.

let the madness commence 😎

we’re heading to raleigh pic.twitter.com/QsmrjyxqFa

— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 16, 2025

"Just incredibly proud of our program. Starts with our players. They've done an incredible job all year just being coachable and unselfish," Golden said after clinching his first conference title as Florida's head coach. "We knew early on in the year we had really good talent. But the thing that separates us is our unselfishness, our willingness to put the greater good of the program in front of ourselves.

"Our staff has done an incredible job all year. One of the best staffs in America, preparing our guys, being consistent, being good role models for these guys. The thing I'm most proud of is how well our guys compete whether it's going our way or not. They will always answer the bell and give it their best effort.

"I'm really proud we can call ourselves SEC tournament champions."

The Gators won its first SEC Tournament championship for the first time in over 10 years after an 86-77 win over Tennessee on Sunday. Guard Walter Clayton Jr. sparked Florida offensively with 22 points and four 3-pointers, while Will Richard added 17 points while going 8-for-8 from the charity strike.

Both were named to the SEC All-Tournament Team with Clayton Jr. also being named the tournament's MVP.

Florida's clinching of a No. 1 seed marks the first time the Gators hold a top regional seed in the NCAA Tournament since the 2013-14 season in which the program held the No. 1 overall seed in the entire tournament.

More From Gators Illustrated

feed