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101-453: Over the course of the school's history, UCSB has won team national championships for 1979 men's water polo , 2006 men's soccer and 1962 men's swimming and diving (Div. II). The Gauchos, and the student-athletes who compose the teams, have won a variety of conference titles, regularly compete in NCAA championship events, and have produced professional and Olympic athletes. The school has played

202-565: A 10–15 record in games played in March. After a disappointing 2021-22 season in which Florida did not earn a berth in the NCAA tournament, White left to become the head coach at Georgia . On March 18, former San Francisco head coach Todd Golden was named Florida's new head basketball coach. The Florida Gators have won two NCAA national championships, which is tied for 9th all-time among Division I schools. The Gators won two national championships in 2005–06, and 2006–07 under Billy Donovan. That

303-474: A 9–1 record, the best in school history, and two of its members later played for the NFL's New York Giants . La Playa Stadium , now used by Santa Barbara City College , opened in 1938 and was the team's home until 1966, when Harder Stadium was built. "Cactus Jack" Curtice , who had been head coach at a number of major college programs, coached the team from 1963 to 1969. His 1965 team finished 8-1 and went to

404-551: A football game's kickoff. Later, others attributed the change as inspired by Douglas Fairbanks ' role in the eponymous film, The Gaucho . The earliest teams representing UC Santa Barbara, then known as Santa Barbara State Teachers College, appeared in the 1920s with football and basketball followed shortly by baseball. UCSB were one of four founding members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association , which first took place during

505-716: A pivotal role in the collegiate athletics landscape in California. UCSB was a founding member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association , the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (now known as the Big West Conference), and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . Those affiliated with UCSB, including alumni, faculty, and students in addition to the athletic teams, have previously gone under

606-546: A postseason tournament invitation during his tenure, as tournament fields were smaller at the time and only conference champions were assured of NCAA bids. Nonetheless, according to Florida historian Norm Carlson, Sloan "elevated the Gators basketball program from a seldom competitive program and built the grass roots." Sloan left Florida after failing to receive the support of then athletic director Ray Graves , and took over as head coach at his alma mater North Carolina State after

707-410: A respected assistant under North Carolina's Dean Smith , succeeded Bartlett in 1973–74. Lotz's Gators peaked with a 17–9 overall record and a fourth-place conference finish (10–8 SEC) in 1976–77, but trailed off to consecutive last place conference finishes in 1978–79 and 1979–80, leading to his dismissal. The modern era of Florida basketball began in 1980, when the team moved into their current home,

808-532: A row from 2005 to 2007. Though the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament is given to the conference tournament winner, the SEC declares the team with the best record in the regular season the "official" conference champion. The Gators have won a total of seven official (regular season) SEC championships. Norm Sloan won the first one during the 1988–89 season, and Billy Donovan has won the other six, including

909-478: A score of 11–3. This was UCSB's first ever NCAA Division I championship. The program has produced a number of notable players including Craig Wilson , Greg Boyer , John Anderson , Brian Alexander , and Ross Sinclair , who have won multiple Olympic medals between the group. The current head coach is three-time Olympian and former United States men's national water polo team captain Wolf Wigo , who also oversees

1010-778: Is now led by Coach Matt Macedo, who took over the position in August 2016 (was an assistant coach for two years prior). The men's teamearned back to back championship titles at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship (MPSF) for in 2017 and 2018, while Macedo also earned the coach of the year award in his first year. Notable alumni of the program include Olympic gold medalists Richard Schroeder , Jason Lezak , Sandy Neilson , Sophie Kamoun , former 50-meter freestyle world record holder Bruce Stahl (the first person to ever hold this world record), and Pat Cary . The men's volleyball team has finished as

1111-571: Is widely considered to be one of the top 5 "surf schools". The Gauchos compete in the National Scholastic Surfing Association . Since the organization's creation in 1978, UCSB is the most successful collegiate program in history and has won 13 collegiate national championship trophies, the last coming in 2010. The Black Tide (men's team) and the Burning Skirts (women's team) are consistently top teams in

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1212-488: The 2004–2005 NCAA tournament . They knocked off the No. 13 seed, Ohio in the first round, but lost to No. 5 seed Villanova in the second round. The 2005–06 team began the season unranked and went on a 17–0 winning streak for the best start in school history, surprising many with a young (four sophomores and one junior) squad following the graduation of David Lee and the departures of Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson to

1313-576: The 2006–07 basketball season ranked as the preseason No. 1 in both major media polls, a first for the Gators. The Gators locked up the SEC Championship relatively early in the 2006–07 season and were in possession of a 24–2 record before going on a late-February 1–3 skid that mirrored their 0–3 run a year earlier. For the second season in a row, the losses in February would be their last. Florida closed out Kentucky on Senior Night to end

1414-496: The 2011 WNBA draft . In 2005, UCSB Women's Basketball won its unprecedented ninth straight Big West Conference Championship. The team had its best year in history during the 2004 season when it advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 where it lost to eventual champion UConn . UCSB was the only team to hold UConn to less than a double-digit victory in the NCAA playoffs. From 2000 to 2005, Tasha McDowell served as an assistant coach. In

1515-658: The 2013 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as the No. 3 seed in the South Region. Florida defeated the No. 14 seed Northwestern State 79–47 in the first round, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen after soundly beating the No. 11 seed, Minnesota , 78–64. The Gators then defeated Florida Gulf Coast , No. 15 seed, in the Sweet Sixteen 62–50. But once again, their run ended in the Elite Eight, this time against fourth seeded Michigan , who handily defeated

1616-814: The American Collegiate Rowing Association , where they've won numerous national championships. The program has produced Olympic Games and national team members such as Amy Fuller . UC Santa Barbara previously played host to the Santa Barbara International Rugby Tournament , once the largest rugby tournament in the world which drew teams locally and internationally. UCSB has produced several top rugby players, including international team members Bill Leversee , Stuart Krohn , and Kristine Sommer . Others went on to success in other sports, such as Doug Oldershaw . UC Santa Barbara and its campus

1717-1004: The Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, California during December 1979. UC Santa Barbara defeated UCLA in the final, 11–3, to win their first national title. Greg Boyer from UC Santa Barbara was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. An All-Tournament Team , consisting of seven players, was also named. For the third consecutive year, the tournament's leading scorer was Scott Schulte from Bucknell (11 goals). Since there has only ever been one single national championship for water polo, all NCAA men's water polo programs (whether from Division I , Division II , or Division III ) were eligible. A total of 8 teams were invited to contest this championship. Florida Gators men%27s basketball The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents

1818-636: The Big West Conference , Western Athletic Conference , and Pac-10 Conference , UC Santa Barbara was a founding member of the regional Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 1992. Potentially one of the oldest teams the Gauchos field, baseball can date back to at least 1923. They've appeared in 13 NCAA Division I baseball tournaments . Numerous Major League Baseball all-stars and World Series champions have come through

1919-551: The Camellia Bowl . Under Curtice's successor, Andy Everest, the college decided to launch an NCAA Division I program, but after two seasons of dismal on-field performance and a lack of student support, the college changed directions and decided to drop the sport entirely in December 1971 after falling $ 40,000 below its estimated operating budget. The Gauchos appeared in four bowl games during 50 years, winning only once, in

2020-648: The Gators were the No. 7 seed in the West Region after losing in the 2012 SEC men's basketball tournament semifinals to Kentucky, finishing with an overall record of 23–10. Florida defeated the No. 10 seed, Virginia , and the No. 15 seed, Norfolk State , to advance to the Sweet 16 in Phoenix. They defeated No. 3 seed Marquette in an upset to advance to the Elite Eight, but their run ended when they were defeated by

2121-467: The Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association national championship twice (2004 and 2005) and ranks in the top 5 programs in history for both national championships won and national championship finals appearances. Rowing was started in 1965 as the first club sport at UC Santa Barbara, predating some of the university's intercollegiate athletic teams. It was followed in 1972 by a women's side. The Gauchos compete in

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2222-517: The NBA in 2015. Todd Golden became the Gators' head basketball coach in March 2022. The college basketball season begins in early November, and the non-conference portion of the schedule typically runs until the end of the calendar year. The Gators usually compete in a cross-regional tournament against other top programs, schedule a game or two against other quality opponents in Gainesville or on

2323-654: The NCAA tournament , and were selected as the No.1 overall seed, and were placed in the South Regional. The Gators' school record win streak reached 30 as they defeated their first four tournament opponents by double digits, finally breaking through in the Elite 8 with a 62–52 win over Dayton to advance to the Final Four as the only remaining No.1 seed. In the national semifinals, Florida faced Connecticut , which had been

2424-417: The O'Connell Center . Despite being only 30 years old, Florida Gym had not aged well. By the mid-1970s, Florida was the only basketball program in the SEC without a modern arena. The university built the O'Connell Center (which quickly gained the nickname "The O'Dome") as the new home for all of the university's indoor sports programs, and it proved to be a boon across several sports. The new facility improved

2525-638: The Texas Longhorns men's swim team broke it, the UCSB men's swim team set the NCAA record for most consecutive conference titles in any sport with 23 straight Big West Conference championships from 1979 to 2001. The men's teams have been ranked as high as 16th nationally and several of his swimmers over the years have advanced to the NCAA Championships. In fact, the men's team has turned in 38 All-American performances under Wilson. The team

2626-696: The University of Florida in the sport of basketball . The Gators compete in NCAA Division I 's Southeastern Conference (SEC). Home games are played in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. While the University of Florida's men's basketball team first took the court in 1915, the program did not receive much support from

2727-508: The 19-year coaching tenure of Billy Donovan. After the season, Donovan accepted an offer to coach the NBA 's Oklahoma City Thunder . He would leave Florida as far and away the winningest coach in program history. He led the Gators to 14 NCAA tournament appearances, six SEC regular season titles (four outright, two shared) and four SEC Tournament championships–in all three cases, more than all other coaches in program history combined. On May 7, 2015, former Louisiana Tech head coach Mike White

2828-576: The 1938–39 school year. The association sponsored 10 sports and served as a catalyst for UCSB to elevate sports previously classified as "minor" to equal standing as "major", which provided a level playing field for all UCSB-sponsored teams. In 1969, UC Santa Barbara was a founding member of the Big West Conference, then known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. Along with a consortium of teams from

2929-687: The 1948 Potato Bowl. "Blue-Green Rivalry" The Mustangs won the football rivalry 21-14, at a total of 35 games that were played between 1923 and 1971. In this 'Southern California Coastal Beach Town Rivalry' the Gouchos lost to 2 ranked Aztec teams in 1964 (SDSU NO.4) and 1970 (SDSU No.14). San Diego State Aztecs won the football rivalry 26-8-1 games, at a total of 35 games that were played between 1923 and 1971. In this 'Little UC- School Rivalry' The 2 UC schools rivalry mirrors their older, larger 'UC brothers' (UC-Berkeley–UCLA Rivalry) in this Southern vs. Northern California UC School Rivalry. The Gauchos won

3030-459: The 1965–66 season. Tommy Bartlett succeeded Sloan as head coach, and his first season as head coach in 1966–67 was the program's most successful to date. The Gators with a record of 21–4, finishing 2nd in the SEC to Tennessee, who beat them twice during the regular season. Florida was ranked in the AP top 10 for the first time, earning a number 10 ranking on January 9, 1967, and then a number 8 ranking

3131-672: The 2 college campuses. In this Local So. Cal Rivalry the Occidental Tigers won the football rivalry 16-11-2 games, at a total of 29 games that were played between 1927 and 1961. Numerous UC Santa Barbara athletic teams compete intercollegiately at the student club level without official sanction or sponsorship from the university's Athletic Department. While there are 450 students-athletes in ICA, there are over 700 in club (recreational) sports teams. Many of these teams are highly regarded and compete against intercollegiate teams from across

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3232-567: The 2006 title game, the Gators again eliminated the UCLA Bruins in the national semifinal. Florida defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 84–75, in a rematch of a game they won 86–60 three months earlier, to become the first team since the 1991–92 Duke Blue Devils to win back-to-back national championships and the first college team ever to repeat as national champions with the same starting line-up. The University of Florida also has

3333-683: The 2006–07 school year. In 2004, the UCSB men's soccer team advanced to the College Cup . It routed Duke in the semifinals 5–0, but lost in the championship match to Indiana on penalties In 2006, UCSB again advanced to the College Cup. In the semi-finals , UCSB and 2nd seed Wake Forest played to a 0–0 tie before UCSB won the game on penalty kicks 4–3. In the championship game , UCSB defeated UCLA 2-1 to win its first NCAA Men's Soccer title and its second NCAA championship (1979 Men's Water Polo) in school history. In conference play,

3434-486: The 2006–07 season in which the Gators also won the SEC Tournament championship and NCAA national championship, and three in a four-year span from 2011 to 2014. The 2013–14 squad became the first team in SEC history to have an 18–0 regular season conference record. Florida has appeared in the NCAA tournament 24 times. Their combined record is 48–20. However, their appearances in 1987 and 1988 have been vacated by

3535-611: The 2012 Big West Tournament, the UCSB women's basketball team became the first 6th seed to win the tournament. In the first round, the team traveled to UC Irvine and defeated the 3rd seeded Anteaters 61–51. The Gauchos continued on their playoff march against the Pacific Tigers in the semifinals hosted at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Pacific swept UCSB in the regular season, but the Gauchos were victorious when it mattered

3636-529: The 2nd seeded Florida Gators and lost. It was the first time that UCSB entered an NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons. Some famous Gauchos basketball players are Brian Shaw , Conner Henry , Alex Harris , Lucius Davis , Don Ford , James Nunnally , and Orlando Johnson . On the women's side, Kristen Mann currently plays in the WNBA and Mekia Valentine was drafted by the New York Liberty in

3737-509: The 7 seed. The Gauchos went on to capture its record 14th Big West crown with a 63–54 final tally. Gaucho center Kirsten Tilleman had a double-double (16 points and 11 rebounds) against the 49ers, which earned her the tournament MVP honors. She was also included on the All-Tournament team roster along with her teammate sophomore guard Melissa Zornig, who averaged 16.7 points per game in the tournament. The 2011-2012 Gauchos' season ended in

3838-476: The AP. They beat No. 14 seed South Alabama and No. 11 seed Milwaukee to advance to the Minneapolis regional. There, the Gators defeated the No. 7 seed Georgetown Hoyas and upset the No. 1 seed Villanova Wildcats 75–62 to avenge their loss in the previous year's tournament and move on to their second Final Four under Donovan. Florida defeated the upstart George Mason Patriots , the No. 11 seed from

3939-564: The Big West Conference, defeating Long Beach State. It won an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament and played 2nd seed Ohio State , losing to the Buckeyes. In 2010–2011, they placed fifth in the regular season. They defeated Long Beach State in the tournament final for the second year in a row. The Gauchos were the lowest seed to win the Big West Tournament since sixth-seeded San Jose State toppled Utah State in 1996. They played

4040-454: The Final Four by SEC rival South Carolina, 77–70. Florida earned invitations to four straight NCAA tournaments and won at least one game in each appearance under White (not counting the 2020 NCAA tournament, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic ). However, after 2017, they earned a decreasing number of wins each season, were never a serious contender for SEC championships, and had

4141-588: The Gators began consistently competing for conference titles in the 1990s. The modern University of Florida (UF) was created when the Florida Legislature passed the Buckman Act of 1905, which consolidated four predecessor institutions into a new flagship university that opened its new Gainesville campus in 1906. The school sponsored its first varsity basketball team during the 1915–16 school year under head football coach C. J. McCoy , who led

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4242-551: The Gators finally moved to the Florida Gymnasium (also known as Alligator Alley) during the 1949–50 season. In December 1932, the University of Florida joined the Southeastern Conference as one of its 13 charter members. While the school would find athletic success in some sports, Florida's basketball team would spend most of the first half-century of SEC play in the bottom half of the standings, as

4343-450: The Gators finished the season higher than fourth in the league on only four occasions over the program's first fifty years in the SEC (1933 to 1983). Until 1960, the university continued the practice of assigning coaches from other sports to lead the basketball team, including head baseball coaches Brady Cowell , Ben Clemons and Sam McAllister , head football coach Josh Cody , and football assistants Spurgeon Cherry and John Mauer . This

4444-410: The Gators to the school's first-ever SEC regular season title in 1989 behind center Dwayne Schintzius. However, after a drug scandal involving Maxwell and an NCAA investigation for various rules violations, Sloan and his coaching staff were forced to resign on October 31, 1989, just days before the start of the 1989–90 season. Former Tennessee coach Don DeVoe was brought in as the interim coach, but

4545-413: The Gators were eliminated by Penn State in a quarter-final game of the 2009 National Invitation Tournament . In 2010, the Gators received an invitation to the 2010 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as a No. 10 seed, but they were eliminated in the first round by No. 7 seed BYU in double overtime. In the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament , the Gators were the No. 2 seed in

4646-567: The Gators were the No. 5 seed in the East Rutherford Regional of the 2003–2004 NCAA tournament , but were upset in the first round by the No. 12 seed, Manhattan. The 2004–05 team had the distinction of being the first to garner an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, when it defeated Kentucky in the 2005 SEC tournament championship . The Gators subsequently received the No. 4 seed in the Syracuse Regional of

4747-517: The Gators were upset in the second round by Auburn . Florida received the No. 5 seed in the East Regional of the 2000 NCAA tournament , and swept through the region by beating Butler , Illinois , Duke , and Oklahoma State to reach the Final Four. In the national semifinals, Florida knocked off North Carolina to advance to their first NCAA national championship game, before losing to heavily favored and top seeded Michigan State . Over

4848-505: The Gators' first All-American Neal Walk , a run to the Sweet Sixteen during its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1987 under head coach Norm Sloan, and another surprise tournament run to the 1994 Final Four under head coach Lon Kruger . However, consistent success was elusive, and the Gators often found themselves in the bottom half of the SEC basketball standings. The trajectory of Florida's basketball program changed with

4949-425: The Gators' starting five were drafted among the first ten picks in the first round of the 2007 NBA draft : Al Horford (third), Corey Brewer (seventh) and Joakim Noah (ninth). Taurean Green and Chris Richard were both selected in the second round. Also during this season, Donovan passed Sloan as the winningest coach in school history. In the aftermath of the Gators second NCAA championship, Donovan accepted

5050-419: The Gators, 79–59. The Gators became the first team since the expansion of the tournament in 1951 to lose in the Elite Eight in three consecutive seasons. Florida is the only program in the nation to have advanced as far as the Elite Eight in each of those seasons from 2011 to 2013. The 2013–14 Gators finished the SEC regular season with an 18–0 record in conference play, the first SEC team to ever accomplish

5151-475: The Gauchos have dominated Big West competition. They have won the Big West Championship in 5 of the last 7 years. Also, the Gauchos have had no less than 5 former players receive full international caps . The Gauchos have led the NCAA in attendance each year from 2007 to 2012, and averaged 5,873 fans during their 2010 home matches. The Gauchos Sep. 24, 2010 match against UCLA drew 15,896 fans,

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5252-457: The NBA. The trio accounted for 60 percent of their offense in 2005. The team faded late in the regular season, losing its last 3 games in February and entering the postseason with a 24–6 record, yet still managed to win its second consecutive SEC tournament championship . The Gators entered the 2006 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as a No. 3 seed with a 27–6 record, and ranked No. 10 by

5353-482: The NCAA runner up 5 times, most recently in 2011. The women's volleyball team plays at the UCSB Events Center , while the men's team plays at Robertson Gymnasium . The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's volleyball team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 21–28 through twenty-eight appearances. UC Santa Barbara won the 1979 National Championship in men's water polo, defeating the UCLA Bruins by

5454-526: The NCAA tournament across 20 active sports (10 men's and 10 women's) 184 times at the Division I level. The Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara earned 2 NCAA championships at the Division I level. Results 1979 NCAA Men%27s Water Polo Championship The 1979 NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship was the 11th annual NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship to determine the national champion of NCAA men's college water polo . Tournament matches were played at

5555-399: The NCAA tournament in 2002 where they nearly upset powerhouse Arizona in the opening round. Over the years, a few of Pimm's assistants at UCSB have gone on to coach other major programs around the country, including Ben Howland (1982–1994) of UCLA and Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh . In the 2009–10 season, UCSB Men's Basketball was the regular season champion and final tournament champion in

5656-464: The No. 4 seed, Louisville , 72–68, after blowing a 65–54 lead with 8:14 remaining in the game. The 2012–13 Gators finished the regular season with an overall record of 24–6, and won the SEC Championship with a conference record of 14–4. During the regular season, Billy Donovan notched his 400th career win as the head coach of the Gators over Missouri . After losing in the final of the 2013 SEC men's basketball tournament to Mississippi , they entered

5757-477: The No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region of the 2002 NCAA tournament . They were knocked off in the first round by No. 12 seed Creighton. The 2003 Florida Gators finished the season 24–7, and received the No. 2 seed in the South Region of the 2003 NCAA tournament . The Gators easily defeated Sam Houston State in the first round, but were then upset by No. 7 seed Michigan State in the second round. In 2004,

5858-478: The No. 6 seed in the West Regional of the 1999 NCAA tournament . The Gators defeated Penn and Weber State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in Phoenix, where they were upset by No. 10 seed Gonzaga . Donovan took his Gators on a memorable run during his fourth season in Gainesville. The Gators finished the season 29–8, including winning a share of the SEC championship. In the 2000 SEC tournament , however,

5959-655: The Southeast region after winning the SEC Championship, after being defeated in the 2011 SEC men's basketball tournament championship game to Kentucky , and finishing with a 26–7 record. They played their two first games in Tampa, Florida. In the Second Round of the Tournament, Florida beat No. 15 seed, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos . In the third round, the Gators defeated the No. 7 seed, the UCLA Bruins to advance to

6060-578: The Sweet Sixteen in New Orleans. On March 24, 2011, the Gators got some revenge by defeating the No. 3 seed, BYU , who had knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament the year before, by a score of 83–74 in overtime to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2007. Their tournament run ended there as they were stunned in the Regional Final against No. 8 seed Butler in overtime. In the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament ,

6161-402: The UCSB campus, the swimming program has seen its fair share of success. For 40 seasons Gregg Wilson was the head coach of the men's and women's swimming teams. Wilson posted a dual meet record of 292–208–1 (172–115 with the men, 120–92–1 with the women). Even more impressive, his squads have collected 36 Big West Conference Championships, 23 by his men's teams and 13 by his women's teams. Before

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6262-442: The UCSB women's water polo program. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's water polo team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 7–11 through twelve appearances. UCSB began playing intercollegiate football in 1921, playing as the "Roadrunners" on a field at Pershing Park. Theodore "Spud" Harder became coach in 1934; in the same year the school adopted a new name, selecting "Gauchos" in a student vote. The 1936 team finished with

6363-587: The United States. The Women's Water Polo team captured two Collegiate Club titles, in 1987 and 1989. The Rowing Team is the current National Champion for the second consecutive year (American Collegiate Rowing Association) and Women's Team point Champion (2015). The following teams compete in intercollegiate non-varsity club sports: UC Santa Barbara men's lacrosse competes in the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League . They won

6464-667: The Washington, D.C. regional, by a score of 73–58 in the national semifinals in Indianapolis . On April 3, 2006, the Gators defeated the UCLA Bruins 73–57 in the national final to win the school's first men's basketball NCAA Championship. The University of Florida Athletic Association then purchased the floor used in Indianapolis for the Final Four, and installed it in the O'Connell Center . The Gators returned all five starters from their 2006 championship team to begin

6565-566: The Year, and senior guard Casey Prather was named to the All-SEC First Team. The 2014–15 Gators finished the season 16–17, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in a tie for eighth place. They did not participate in a postseason tournament for the first time in 17 years. The woeful season included losses to in-state rivals Miami and Florida State, and three losses to SEC champion Kentucky. The Gators' 63.7 points-per-game were their lowest in

6666-444: The basketball program in several ways, including helping to convince Norm Sloan to return to Gainesville after a successful 14-year tenure at North Carolina State which included an undefeated season in 1972–73 and an NCAA championship in 1974. Sloan later said that he'd always enjoyed his first stint at Florida, and had always been more than willing to return if the university built a more modern arena. Sloan's second stint at Florida

6767-430: The basketball team to a 5–1 record against small colleges and local athletic clubs. The program went on hiatus during World War I and next took the court during the 1919–20 school year, though without an officially designated coach. Head football coach William G. Kline was assigned to coach basketball during the 1920–21 school year, when the team moved into their new home at recently completed University Gymnasium . By

6868-417: The basketball team until the school could afford a more permanent structure. However, funds soon became scarce with the coming of the Great Depression, and university president John J. Tigert 's main focus was the financing and construction of Florida Field , the new football stadium which opened in 1930. Plans for a larger brick gymnasium were drawn up in 1940, but construction was delayed by World War II, and

6969-524: The clock to force overtime, where the Gators eventually prevailed. They lost to Duke in the national semifinal, 70–65. The next year, they returned to the NCAA tournament, but were eliminated in the first round. Kruger's final season in 1995–1996 resulted in a losing record, and he left to coach at Illinois . Florida's Athletic Director, Jeremy Foley , looking for a young coach with a proven track record, hired 30-year-old Billy Donovan , then at Marshall , as Kruger's replacement. His recruiting prowess

7070-497: The defending SEC champions struggled to a 7–21 record. In September 1990, the NCAA sentenced the program to two years' probation for numerous major violations dating back to 1985. Their 1987 and 1988 NCAA Tournament appearances were erased from the record books due to Maxwell being retroactively declared ineligible for secretly taking money from a sports agent, and Sloan was slapped with a five-year show-cause penalty that effectively ended his coaching career. The most severe penalty in

7171-419: The distinction of being the only school in NCAA history to have won both the basketball and football national championships in the same season (won the football championship in January 2007, which was the 2006 season) and the only school in NCAA history to win a combined four national championships in three seasons (football in 2006 and 2008 and basketball in 2006 and 2007). Following the 2006–07 season, three of

7272-523: The feat, after the SEC re-expanded to an 18-game regular season schedule prior to the 2012–13 season . In doing so, the Gators won their seventh SEC championship, and their third in four seasons. The Gators then beat the Kentucky Wildcats for the third time in the season to claim their fourth SEC Tournament championship title. By claiming the SEC tournament , the Gators earned an automatic bid to

7373-422: The first round of the NCAA tournament where they fell 81–40 against the eventual national champion Baylor. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's cross country team appeared in the NCAA tournament two times, with their highest finish being 17th place in the 2001–02 school year. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's cross country team appeared in the NCAA tournament four times, with their highest finish being 9th place in

7474-404: The first two rounds before losing to eventual-NIT champion George Washington in the quarterfinal. White's second Gator squad was the best of his tenure, as Florida went 24–7, finished 2nd in the SEC standings, and earned a #4 seed in the 2017 NCAA tournament . They reached the Elite Eight on a three-point buzzer beater by guard Chris Chiozza to beat Wisconsin, then were upset one game short of

7575-528: The following seasons. Led by the program's first All-American in center Neal Walk (the only Gator to have his number retired) and forward Andy Owens , the 1968–69 Gators received a bid to the 1969 National Invitation Tournament , the first postseason appearance in program history. After Walk and Owens went on to play professional basketball, Bartlett could not sustain the level of talent in recruiting, and team performance declined thereafter, with four straight losing campaigns leading to his dismissal. John Lotz ,

7676-446: The football rivalry 14-6-2 games, at a total of 22 games that were played between 1938 and 1965. This Local So. Cal Rivalry with the campuses approximately 120 miles apart from each other ran for 57 years on the gridiron. It is the longest running Rivalry years wise in UCSB football history. Whittier College Poets won the football rivalry 17-15-1 games, at a total of 33 games that were played between 1930 and 1987. Only 95 miles separate

7777-512: The head coaching position for the NBA's Orlando Magic on May 31, 2007. On June 3, however, it was disclosed that Donovan asked to be released from his contract with the Magic, which was announced when he was reintroduced as the Gators head coach on June 7. The Gators failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and 2009. The Gators were eliminated by UMass in the semi-finals of the 2008 National Invitation Tournament . The following season,

7878-489: The highest attendance for an NCAA soccer match since the year 2000. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 22–12 (.647) through thirteen appearances. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's soccer team have an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 5–9 through nine appearances. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's softball team has an NCAA Division I Tournament record of 0–6 through three appearances. Based out of Campus Pool on

7979-515: The hiring of head coach Billy Donovan in 1996. After having made five NCAA Tournament appearances and having won only one regular season SEC championship and zero SEC tournaments in 78 seasons of basketball before his arrival, the Gators won seven SEC regular season championships and four SEC tournament championships, appeared in 14 NCAA Tournaments, reached four Final Fours, and won back-to-back national championships ( 2006 and 2007 ) during Donovan's 19 seasons in Gainesville before he left to coach in

8080-471: The last team to defeat them back on December 2, 64–65. The Gators got off to a quick start and built a 16–4 lead, but the Huskies were able to catch up and led 25–22 at halftime in a defensive battle. The Gators continued to struggle to score in the second half and suffered their third (and worst) loss of the season, 53–63. The team's program-best 36–3 record resulted in many individual honors. Billy Donovan

8181-417: The long run, however, was a reduction to 13 total scholarships in 1991–92 and 14 in 1992–93, which affected the program for several years. Draconian as those penalties were, the NCAA said that it would have banned the Gators from postseason play and live television in 1990–91 had Sloan still been coach. Lon Kruger , former head coach at Kansas State , took over the program before the 1990–91 season. Despite

8282-472: The mid-1920s, the basketball team had outgrown the small brick University Gymnasium, which had been designed to serve as a student recreation center and had very little spectator space. A larger wooden structure was built directly adjacent to the University Gym in 1928. While it was officially known as "Building R", it was commonly called the "New Gym". The New Gym was intended to be a temporary home for

8383-485: The most as they bounced the Tigers out of the tournament with an overwhelming 84-66 decision. The 84-point output currently stands as the most points the Gauchos have scored under head coach Carlene Mitchell. After defeating the number 3 seed and number 5 seed, the Gauchos ended up being the higher ranked team in the championship game as they were set to face Long Beach State who pulled off two miraculous upsets of their own as

8484-525: The nation. The Black Tide is the most successful men's collegiate ultimate frisbee team in history and has won six national championships (1988, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1997, 1998) through USA Ultimate 's college championships. It's also the only men's team to win back-to-back-to-back championships, which it accomplished twice. The Burning Skirts have won five national championships (1988, 1990, 1991, 2009, 2011), one of only three teams to have ever won back-to-back championships. The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos competed in

8585-412: The next five years the Gators went to the NCAA Tournament every year, but they found themselves upset victims five straight times in the first or second round. In the 2001 NCAA tournament , Florida received the No. 3 seed in the South Region. They defeated No. 14 Western Kentucky in the first round, but they were then upset by the No. 11 seed, Temple . The following year, in 2002, the Gators received

8686-460: The next week on January 16. Florida notched the school's first 20-win campaign on the strength of winning their final eight games of the year by an average of 19 plus points per game. Ironically at the time the SEC would only permit the league champion to play in the postseason. Having finished second, they lost to league champion Tennessee twice and were not invited to a postseason tournament. Bartlett's squads finished fifth and third in conference play

8787-546: The nicknames Hilltoppers and Roadrunners. In September 1934, the student body voted to change the Roadrunners moniker to the Gauchos, which also applied to the athletic teams. Students felt the name more suited the campus's and Santa Barbara, California -area's Spanish architecture, Mission Santa Barbara , and the Gaucho was "essentially Spanish". The school marked the change with a small ceremony of four horse-riders prior to

8888-481: The probation he inherited, Kruger slowly brought the team to increased success and reached the NIT semifinals in his second year as coach. In 1993–94, the pieces fell into place for Florida to have their best season ever at that time. Behind Andrew DeClercq and Dametri Hill , the Gators went to their first Final Four following a dramatic victory over UConn where Donyell Marshall missed two free throws with no time on

8989-474: The program, 34-year-old Citadel head coach Norm Sloan was hired as Florida's first full-time head basketball coach for the 1960–61 season. Sloan's first team notched the Gators' first winning conference record in eight years, and his second repeated the feat. Overall, his Florida squads compiled a record of 85–63 in six seasons during the 1960s, including the Gators' first regular season win over long-dominant Kentucky in SEC play. Sloan's Gators did not receive

9090-628: The ranks including Shane Bieber , Skip Schumaker , Chris Speier , Michael Young , and Barry Zito . Both the UCSB men and women's basketball teams play at the UCSB Events Center , commonly known as the Thunderdome. UCSB Men's Basketball had its best years in the late '80s and early '90s under coach Jerry Pimm , highlighted by a 77–70 victory over then No. 2 and eventual National Champion UNLV in 1990, and NCAA tournament appearances in 1988 (lost to Maryland) and 1990 (defeated Houston 70–66 and lost to Michigan State 62–58). The Gauchos returned to

9191-407: The regular season 26–5, and won their third straight SEC tournament championship with relative ease, beating Georgia , Ole Miss , and Arkansas 77–56. Florida entered the 2007 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, and they advanced to the Final Four after wins in the regional against No. 5 seed Butler and No. 3 seed Oregon . In a rematch of

9292-497: The road, and play their annual game against in-state rival Florida State before the conference portion of the schedule begins. The 18-game Southeastern Conference (SEC) slate usually tips off around the beginning of the calendar year. The schedule consists of home-and-home games against five SEC teams mixed in with single games against each of the other eight SEC teams followed by the conference tournament . Florida has built in-conference rivalries with Kentucky and Tennessee since

9393-453: The two worst during his tenure at Florida. The Gators posted a two-year win–loss record of 27–32, missing postseason play entirely in his first season, and losing in the first round of the NIT in his second season. These were the last losing records that the Gators suffered until 2014–15. In his third season, however, Donovan's Gators finished the season with an overall record of 22–9, and earned

9494-438: The university for several decades. The basketball team did not have a permanent home court with adequate seating capacity until the Florida Gymnasium opened in 1949, and did not hire a full-time basketball coach until Norm Sloan in 1960, and did not play in a modern arena until the O'Connell Center opened in 1980. Early highlights included the program's first postseason appearance in the 1969 National Invitation Tournament with

9595-448: Was common practice at most SEC schools apart from Kentucky well into the 1940s and 1950s, and some of Florida's coaches had experience in the sport, as Cody had previously coached basketball at Clemson and Vanderbilt and Mauer had previously coached basketball at Kentucky and Tennessee . However, none of these part-time coaches were able to build the Gators into consistent contenders in conference play. In hopes of breathing life into

9696-413: Was easily the most successful period in program history until the late 1990s. That success was in large part because Sloan persuaded several top Florida high school basketball players—such as Gainesville's Vernon Maxwell and Brandon 's Dwayne Schintzius —to stay in-state instead of attending schools with more basketball tradition. After four years of rebuilding, Sloan led the Gators to the 1984 NIT, which

9797-425: Was evident early, bringing future NBA star Jason Williams with him from Marshall and having early recruiting classes with future NBA players Mike Miller , Udonis Haslem , and Matt Bonner , among others. The Gators made the NCAA tournament every year from 1999 to 2007, a nine-year streak that is the school record, and the sixth-longest NCAA Tournament streak. Donovan's first two seasons at Florida proved to be

9898-467: Was hired to coach the Gators, succeeding Billy Donovan. White played point guard at Ole Miss and later served as an assistant there for seven seasons. He is a native of the state of Florida and had led Louisiana Tech to three straight conference titles. In his first season at the helm, he led Florida to a 21–15 record and a berth in the NIT Tournament, defeating North Florida and Ohio State in

9999-672: Was named the SEC's Coach of the Year for the third time. Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin was named Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year , the SEC Tournament MVP, and the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA South region. Senior center Patric Young was named the Defensive Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith was named Sixth Man of

10100-409: Was only the second postseason appearance in school history. They would make the NIT again in 1985 and 1986, reaching the NIT semi-finals in 1986. In 1987 , shooting guard Vernon Maxwell led the team to the school's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing all the way to the Sweet 16. Sloan coached the team to 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament appearances again the following two years, and led

10201-471: Was the first time any team had won back-to-back national championships since Duke did it in 1991–92. In addition, the Gators became the first school to ever win a national championship in football and basketball in both the same calendar year and the same academic year (the Gators' football team defeated Ohio State in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game ). The Gators have won four SEC Tournament championships, all under Billy Donovan , including three in

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