Florida basketball programs light up the 2026 NCAA men’s tournament as the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Miami have all secured spots. Selection Sunday on March 15 sparks massive Sunshine State hype, with four teams charging into March Madness.
MORE SPORTS ON – SPORTS TALK FLORIDA
Gators Secure No. 1 Seed Glory
University of Florida snags the No. 1 seed in the South Region behind a dominant 26-7 record. They tip off against the First Four winner of Lehigh vs. Prairie View A&M on Friday, March 20, at Amalie Arena—also known as Benchmark International Arena—in Tampa, Florida. Star Thomas Haugh averages 17.1 points and leads the defending champs into home cooking.
Bulls Head to Buffalo vs Louisville
University of South Florida travels as a No. 11 seed to face No. 6 Louisville on Thursday, March 19, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. Wes Enis erupts for 19 points in their AAC title rout of Wichita State, propelling a 25-8 Bulls squad riding 10 straight wins into this neutral-site showdown.
UCF Faces Hoops Royalty
University of Central Florida earns a No. 10 seed in the East Region and battles No. 7 UCLA on Friday, March 20, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Coach Johnny Dawkins unleashes Riley Kugel, the Orlando native who drops 15 points per game and owns three wins over ranked teams on a gritty 21-11 Knights roster.
Canes Face Missouri
The weakest region with the best upset ability. As they say, “anything can happen in March.” The Miami Hurricanes have landed the 7th seed, ending up in the West Region, the weakest of the bunch, with many teams that have been up and down all season.
It’s a region Jai Lucas and the Canes should be thrilled about because of the inconsistencies of the teams they would have to face, even before they sniff No. 1 Arizona. It first starts with the Mizzou Tigers, and if they get past them, then a Big 10 foe in Purdue, who looked to be invincible early in the season, is up next.
