Florida Gators Clinch SEC Title with Blowout Win Over Arkansas

Coach Todd Golden praises team's focus and execution in dominant performance

Mar. 3, 2026 at 2:15am

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The Florida Gators secured the SEC regular season championship with a 111-77 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday. Head coach Todd Golden praised his team's preparation and execution, highlighting their defensive effort in limiting Arkansas' top scorers. The Gators controlled the game from start to finish, leading by as many as 34 points.

Why it matters

This SEC title is Florida's first since 2014, marking a significant milestone for the program under second-year head coach Todd Golden. The win also boosts the Gators' NCAA Tournament seeding prospects as they look to make a deep postseason run.

The details

The Gators jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, holding Arkansas to just 40% shooting from the field and 30% from three-point range. Defensive standout Rueben Chinyelu continued his dominant rebounding, grabbing 16 boards in just 23 minutes of play. Reserves Isaiah Collier and Tari Eason provided a big spark off the bench, combining for 18 first-half points to help the Gators pull away.

  • Florida clinched the SEC regular season title on Saturday, March 1, 2026.

The players

Todd Golden

Head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team.

Rueben Chinyelu

Florida Gators forward known for his elite rebounding and defensive abilities.

Isaiah Collier

Florida Gators reserve guard who provided a key scoring boost off the bench.

Tari Eason

Florida Gators reserve forward who contributed important first-half points.

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What they’re saying

“Just a great night for our program. I think today, with GameDay here, just a lot of distractions, all great distractions, but distractions, and I thought our guys handled the moment and the opportunity like professionals.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

“We're playing really good basketball right now. I think we're getting contributions from a number of guys. I think that's probably allowed us to become an even better team.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach

What’s next

Florida will look to secure the outright SEC championship when they host their final regular season game on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.

The takeaway

Todd Golden has quickly turned Florida into an SEC powerhouse in his second season, leading the Gators to their first regular season conference title in eight years. This team's balanced scoring, stifling defense, and depth have them poised for a deep NCAA Tournament run.