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UF isn't a historical blue blood, but the Gators are an elite program

On3 imageby:Keith Niebuhr•03/31/25•

On3Keith

Florida-Gators-Todd-Golden
Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden celebrates after defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the West Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Chase Center. (Eakin Howard-Imagn Images)

Monday, I typed the following words into Google search: “Who are college basketball’s blue bloods?”

This was the response: “In college basketball, the term ‘blue blood’ refers to programs consistently ranked among the nation’s elite, often with a rich history of national championships and Final Four appearances, and the most commonly cited programs are Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, UCLA, and Indiana.”

Historically speaking, it’s hard to argue against this although it must be pointed out that in recent years UConn has entered the chat. The Huskies have seven all-time Final Four appearances. That’s not blue blood material. However, the program has won it all six times — and that is the stuff of blue bloods. In fact, that is more championships than Duke (five), Indiana (five) and Kansas (four) have won.

North Carolina stands above all when it comes to the most Final Fours, at 21, with Duke (18), UCLA (18) and Kentucky (17) next. The Bruins have the most titles (11), but the last came way back in 1995.

Florida has never been mentioned as a historically elite program. And for many years, it certainly wasn’t anything special. The Gators did not reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time until 1987, but the program certainly has made up for lost time. This season, the Gators were chosen for the field for the 25th season and UF has an all-time tourney record of 52–22, which is quite good.

And with Saturday’s 84-79 win over Texas Tech, the Gators advanced to the Final Four for the sixth time (tied for 12th). Meanwhile, the Gators have won the NCAA championship twice (tied for ninth with six others). That ain’t bad for a football school.

While the Gators don’t have a blue blood historical resume, one could argue the program is a blue blood of this current century. Five of the program’s Final Four appearances have come since 2000, ranking UF sixth among all programs. The two championship seasons (2006, ’07) also fall into this time frame. Only three programs have won more titles than Florida since 2000 — UConn (five), Duke (three) and North Carolina (three). Florida can match the Blue Devils and Tar Heels with two more wins to close this season.

Meanwhile, the Gators have been significantly better — and far more relevant on the national stage since 2000 — than two of the historical blue bloods, UCLA and Indiana. And that’s not even up for debate.

What Florida basketball has accomplished this century, and really over the past three decades, truly is remarkable. Once a perennial also-ran in what was for many years a mediocre conference, the Gators have averaged one Final Four trip every 5.16 seasons since 1994.

That’s not only good. It is elite.

MOST ALL-TIME FINAL FOUR APPEARANCES AND CHAMPIONSHIPS

SCHOOL1STLASTTOTALCHAMPIONSHIPS
North Carolina19462022216
Duke19632025185
UCLA1962202118 (1 vac.)11
Kentucky19422015178
Kansas19402022164
Michigan State19572019102
Ohio State1939201210 (1 vac.)1
Indiana1940200285
Louisville195920138 (2 vac.)2 (1 vac.)
Houston1967202570
UConn[o]1999202476
Arkansas1941199561
Cincinnati1959199262
Florida1994202562
Michigan196420186 (2 vac.)1
Oklahoma State1945200462
Syracuse1975201661
Villanova193920226 (1 vac.)3

MOST FINAL FOURS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 2000

SCHOOLFINAL FOURSCHAMPIONSHIPS
North Carolina73
Michigan State71
UConn65
Duke63
Kansas62
Florida 52
Villanova42
Kentucky41
UCLA40
Louisville 31
Syracuse31

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