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.

In one of the wildest NCAA championship games in recent memory, the Florida Gators pulled off a stunning 63-61 victory over the Houston Cougars, despite trailing for nearly the entire game.

But Florida would not be denied. The Gators looked cooked when Houston opened up a 42-30 second-half lead. But Florida persevered and rallied for a 65-63 win to secure the program's third national championship. The victory denied Houston and head coach Kelvin Sampson each their first.