Florida Gators Earn No. 1 Seed in 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

UF set to defend national championship as top seed in South Region

Mar. 16, 2026 at 9:18am

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The Florida Gators (26-7) have been named the No. 1 seed in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, setting the stage for a potential repeat national championship run. The Gators will start their tournament journey on Friday in Tampa, Florida, with their first opponent being the winner of Wednesday's First Four game between No. 16 Lehigh and No. 16 Prairie View A&M.

Why it matters

The Gators have earned back-to-back No. 1 seeds for the first time in school history, a testament to the program's sustained excellence. Their path to the Sweet Sixteen includes potential matchups against familiar foes like No. 5 seed Vanderbilt, who defeated them in the SEC Tournament, as well as No. 2 seed Houston, whom they defeated in last year's national championship game.

The details

UF will start its tournament journey on Friday in Tampa, Florida, at the Benchmark International Arena. Their first opponent will be the winner of Wednesday's First Four game between No. 16 Lehigh and No. 16 Prairie View A&M. A victory there would advance the Gators to a Sunday matchup against either No. 8 Clemson or No. 9 Iowa, also in Tampa. The South Region also features No. 2 seed Houston (28-6), whom the Gators defeated 65-63 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament Championship game, and No. 5 seed Vanderbilt (26-8), who defeated Florida 91-74 on Saturday, eliminating them from the SEC Tournament.

  • The Gators will start their tournament journey on Friday in Tampa, Florida.
  • Wednesday's First Four game between No. 16 Lehigh and No. 16 Prairie View A&M will determine the Gators' first opponent.

The players

Florida Gators

The Florida Gators are the No. 1 seed in the South Region of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

Lehigh

Lehigh (18-16) won the Patriot League Championship Tournament on Wednesday, defeating Boston University 74-60. The Mountain Hawks are led by junior guard Nasir Whitlock, who averages 21.0 points per game.

Prairie View A&M

Prairie View A&M (18-17) secured their tournament berth by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, beating Southern 72-66 on Saturday. The Panthers boast two players averaging over 18 points per game: senior guards Dontae Horne (20.2) and Tai'Reon Joseph (18.2).

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What’s next

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The takeaway

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