SAN ANTONIO — Florida basketball and Houston haven’t played in 51 years.
The Gators (35-4) and Cougars (35-4) will meet for the first time since 1973 on Monday (8:50 p.m., CBS) for the national championship in the Final Four at the Alamodome.
Florida is 0-2 against Houston, losing both games in the 1970s. Walter Clayton Jr. and the current Gators will try to take down L.J. Cryer and the current Cougars for Florida’s third national championship.
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Houston, which has the nation’s longest winning streak at 18 games, is still searching for its first NCAA title. The Gators have won 11 in a row ahead of the finale.
Here’s a breakdown of the history of Florida and Houston in March Madness.
Florida basketball famous players
Al Horford, Joakim Noah, Bradley Beal, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Vernon Maxwell, Chandler Parsons, Scottie Wilbekein and Corey Brewer are among the top players to suit up for the Gators.
Houston basketball famous players
Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, Elvin Hayes, Michael Young, Otis Birdsong, Quentin Grimes, Marcus Sasser and Bo Outlaw are among the top players to suit up for the Cougars.
Florida basketball coaches
Todd Golden is the current coach at Florida, but Norm Sloan, Lon Kruger and Billy Donovan are among the Gators’ former leaders.
Houston basketball coaches
Kelvin Sampson is the current coach at Houston, but Tommy Penders, Alvin Brooks, Pat Foster and Guy Lewis are among the Cougars’ former leaders.
Florida March Madness history
The Gators have a 50-20 record in the NCAA Tournament, with six Final Four appearances (2000, 2006, 2007, 2025) and two national championships (2006, 2007).
Houston March Madness history
The Cougars have a 45-20 record in the NCAA Tournament, with seven Final Four appearances (1967, 1968, 1982, 1983, 1984, 2021, 2025) and two national championship appearances (1983, 1984).
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida vs Houston basketball history: Which NCAA championship game team has the most?
Reporting by Rodd Baxley, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
