Florida Gators’ failure to advance to the Sweet 16 was something we should have seen coming based on history

It’s nearly impossible to win back-to-back national championships.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) reacts after losing to the Iowa Hawkeyes in a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena.
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Sunday night was supposed to be a great night for the Florida Gators, but it didn’t end up that way, as they lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round 73-72.

The Hawkeyes held the lead for the majority of the game, even getting as high as 12 points, with the Gators only holding a game-high four-point lead, and that came late in the game. They struggled all game long in multiple areas, especially getting points in the paint, putting up just 30 two days after a whopping 68 against Prairie View A&M.

Florida Gators see a similar fate to other reigning national champions

It’s incredibly difficult to win a national championship, let alone winning a second-consecutive one. It’s something only a handful of teams have done, and only John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins have done it on multiple occasions.

Not only have teams not been able to defend their national championship, but they haven’t been able to even make the Sweet 16. The Gators continued that streak with the loss to Iowa on Sunday.

The 2007 season was the year the Gators won their second national championship with Joakim Noah and Al Horford at the helm. They were hoping that with the return of Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, and Thomas Haugh that magic would happen twice. Unfortunately, they fell victim to the same fate that nearly every other champion over the last 20 years.

In that span, the only team that was able to make it to the Sweet 16 was the UConn Huskies, who won back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024. It was impressive for them to win back-to-back, but the Gators didn’t play well enough to get it done.

With multiple decisions coming regarding the NBA Draft, head coach Todd Golden is going to have a tough offseason ahead of him.

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