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The Florida Gators brought home a national championship on Monday by besting the Houston Cougars on the basketball court. Students celebrated on campus after the fact.
The scene was a wild one in Gainesville as droves of fans flooded university streets. At one point, a fan was seen falling from a streetlight into the crowd below.
Initially, that celebration didn’t look as if it would occur. The Gators trailed for a large majority of the contest. Houston took a 10-8 lead five minutes into the game. Florida wouldn’t regain a lead until the final minute of play.
The Gators led all of 64 seconds of gametime. Still, they were on top when the final buzzer sounded.
Students unable to attend the game in person gathered at the O’Connell Center to take in the action. The crowd erupted watching the final seconds tick off the clock.
@reaves05 #gogators #champs #gainesville #florida #uf #college #amazing #sohappy #hardwork #orlando #floridagirl ♬ original sound – Riley Reaves
The Gators won the contest, 65-63. A party ensued on the campus streets.
“It’s great to be a Florida Gator” chants rang out on University Avenue. The atmosphere was electric after seeing the program win its third national title.
@xxxx11100234 GO GATORSSSS CHOMP CHOMP #fyp #gators #marchmadness #uf ♬ sonido original – Vibes by Ley
The mood shifted when one Florida fan took his celebration too far.
@madisonfrostt HE’S ALIVE #uf #gators #nationalchampionship #ncaa25 ♬ #thatPOWER – will.i.am
One celebration-goer decided to climb a streetlight. Immediate regret followed when he fell to the crowd below.
@amber_lauren05 LETS GOOOOOOO 🐊🐊 #CHOMP #natttyyy #UF#UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA #GATORS #basketballchampions ♬ original sound – Amber Lauren
Another angle of the scary moment shows him losing his footing atop the structure. He was later seen being carried off in a stretcher by emergency personnel.
@eddiedenning6 He gave a thumbs up after this video #nationalchampionship #gatorsmbk #floridagators #marchmadness ♬ original sound – PIPES
Luckily, the incident didn’t turn out worse. The Florida fan appeared to signal a thumbs up to the crowd while being escorted away.
It’s not the first time a national championship celebration has turned ugly. UConn, the winner of the previous two basketball titles, reported $125,000 in damage to its campus after a 2023 win. Multiple arrests were made the following year during a 2024 celebration.
Florida officials did what they could to prepare for the crowds. Extra patrol was reportedly on hand. The university greased telephone and lamp posts on campus. It wasn’t enough to stop every daring fan.
“I believe our Gator fans are more responsible than that,” said Chief Bart Knowles when asked about the fear of potential property damage. “However, if we do encounter that type of activity… those individuals will be held accountable.”
The Florida Gators are the men’s basketball national champions. Students deserved to enjoy the moment. This particular fan overstepped the line.