NCAA

UF somehow overcame Houston’s lockdown defense in the second half. The Gators led a total of 64 seconds, including the last 46 ticks of a thriller that was in limbo until a final shot that never came.

Guard Alijah Martin transferred to Florida after four years at Florida Atlantic, where he was part of the 2023 team's unlikely run to the Final Four in 2023. His play helped lead the Gators into the championship game against Houston.

Tampa's fourth time hosting the championship attracted a crowd of 19,777 that watched the Huskies rout South Carolina. Many of the fans were thrilled by the action and growth of women's basketball.

The subplots include South Carolina looking to repeat as champions, and likely No. 1 WNBA pick Paige Bueckers' last attempt at a national title.

Walter Clayton Jr. rescued Florida with two late 3-pointers, and Florida rallied from nine points down late to win the West Region final. UF advances to play Auburn on Saturday.

The Bulls will travel to Columbus, Ohio, as a No. 12 seed to face the fifth-seeded Volunteers on Friday as part of the Birmingham 1 region. The NCAA Women's Final Four is slated for April 4-6 in Tampa.

"NIL" stands for "name, image and likeness."

Thirteen AAC members will provide payments to athletes of up to $20.5 million per school during the first year of the plan, which will begin once a federal judge approves an NCAA antitrust settlement.

The Bulls defeated Rice 69-62 in the conference title game, earning an automatic bid to the NCAAs. The Women's Final Four is April 4-6 at Amalie Arena.

But with the 2024 season now complete, the future of some of those traditions remains in question. At the center, lies the biggest uncertainty: what will be the future of on-campus tailgating on grass areas throughout the center of campus?

The Gators won their last three games, had the 11th-ranked recruiting class and has several upperclassmen returning in 2025. Plant City's Mario Williams and the Tulane Green Wave hope to end that run.

The ReliaQuest Bowl on New Year's Eve afternoon will feature two of college football's most storied programs, while the Gators earned a postseason spot after closing the season with three straight wins.