Florida Overcomes Elite Defenses in Sweet Sixteen Pushing Further
The road to the Final Four is a tough one, but Florida's path might not be as difficult as a couple of other 1-seeds in this year's NCAA Tournament.
The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket is set and March Madness has officially begun with the Florida Gators holding the No. 1 seed in the South Region. Thus begins Todd Golden's endeavor to bring the national championship trophy back to Gainesville for a second-straight year.
The Big Dance is no walk through the park, as every team — no matter how they fared during the regular season — is fighting tooth and nail to move on to the next round. It is a time of year when Cinderellas emerge and unexpected upsets bust brackets. While the top seeds in the regions are set up for an ostensibly easier avenue to the Final Four, there are still plenty of roadblocks en route to the semifinals.
USA TODAY Sports writer Craig Meyer ranked the No. 1 seeds' paths based on what he sees in the initial bracket, with Florida having the third-hardest road back to the penultimate round. "The Gators enter the tournament as one of the country's hottest teams, with 17 wins in their past 19 games after an underwhelming 9-5 start.
They've got all the potential to make a second consecutive Final Four, with Sunday's bracket reveal confirming as much," Meyer offers. "Either No. 8 seed Clemson or No.