The riveting action took viewers by storm, too. Monday's national championship averaged 18.1 million viewers on CBS, up 22% year-over-year and the most-watched title game since 2019, when Virginia beat Texas Tech in overtime. During a hectic finish between the Gators and Cougars, viewership peaked at 21.1 million.

Three weeks ago, 24 staffers submitted their predictions for The Athletic’s consensus men’s NCAA Tournament bracket. Eleven voters picked Duke to win the national championship, followed by six for Florida and five for Houston.

That was my stance before the 2025 NCAA tournament, and my position has only hardened since watching Duke flame out in the Final Four and the national championship be played between two veteran-laden teams.

In the end, college basketball always delivers. Surely this past weekend was proof, with its incessant nail-biting Final Four, starting with Florida’s 79-73 upset of overall No. 1 seed Auburn, then Houston’s furious rally to shock Duke 70-67,

UF coach Todd Golden is due a sizable pay increase as he tackles the offseason to build on the Gators’ national championship success.

The Florida Gators earned all 61 first-place votes in the final AP Top 25 Poll of the season after winning the NCAA Tournament.

Madness is now over. The Florida Gators beat Houston to win the men's NCAA championship game, while UConn defeated South Carolina to take the women's championship. And while

Florida's comeback victory over Houston in Monday night's NCAA title game was the most-watched men's championship game in six years with 18.1 million viewers.

Monday's national title bout between Florida and Houston drew 18.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched title game since 2019. The game peaked at 21.1 million viewers and was up 22 percent from last year.