Florida Faces Prairie View A&M in NCAA Tournament Matchup

The defending champion Gators take on the Cinderella Panthers in the Round of 64.

Mar. 21, 2026 at 12:10am

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The No. 1-seed Florida Gators will face the No. 16-seed Prairie View A&M Panthers in the Round of 64 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Friday. Florida, the Southeastern Conference regular-season champion and defending national champion, will look to advance past the surprise SWAC Tournament champion Panthers, who earned their tournament bid by winning multiple games as the No. 8 seed in their conference tournament.

Why it matters

This matchup pits one of college basketball's powerhouse programs against an underdog team looking to pull off a historic upset. Florida is aiming to defend its national title, while Prairie View A&M is seeking to become the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the tournament's history.

The details

Florida secured a No. 1 seed in the South Region after winning the SEC regular-season title and posting a 26-7 record. The Gators are led by a deep, talented roster and are the defending national champions. Prairie View A&M, meanwhile, earned its tournament bid by winning the SWAC Tournament as the No. 8 seed, defeating higher-seeded teams along the way. The Panthers then advanced through the First Four to reach the Round of 64, where they will face the daunting task of taking down the top-seeded Gators.

  • The game will tip off on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 9:25 PM ET.
  • Florida won the SEC regular-season title earlier this year.

The players

Florida Gators

The No. 1 seed in the South Region, the Florida Gators are the defending national champions and won the SEC regular-season title this year with a 26-7 record.

Prairie View A&M Panthers

The No. 16 seed in the South Region, the Prairie View A&M Panthers earned their tournament bid by winning the SWAC Tournament as the No. 8 seed, then advancing through the First Four.

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What’s next

The winner of this game will advance to the Round of 32 to face the winner of the matchup between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds in the South Region.

The takeaway

This first-round clash between the defending national champion Gators and the Cinderella-seeking Panthers represents the classic David vs. Goliath storyline that makes the NCAA Tournament so captivating. While Florida is heavily favored, Prairie View A&M will look to pull off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.