They are who we thought they were.
The four No. 1 seeds in the 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament have turned out to be the four best teams in the country. No. 1 overall seed Auburn joined Duke, Houston and Florida in the Final Four with a win over Michigan State Sunday. It’s the first time since 2008 that all four No. 1 seeds will make up the Final Four and just the second time ever.
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Coincidentally, that Final Four was also played in San Antonio, as it will be this season. The Gators opened the Elite Eight round by making a miraculous comeback with an 84-79 win against No. 3 Texas Tech on Saturday. The Blue Devils knocked out No. 2 Alabama in the nightcap 85-65.
On Sunday, the Cougars cruised to an easy 69-50 victory over another No. 2 seed in Tennessee. The top-overall seeded Tigers knocked out No. 3 remaining, Michigan State, 70-64, in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday.
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The Final Four starts on Saturday, April 5, with a matchup between two SEC foes in Florida and Auburn. A matchup between Duke and Houston will follow that.
Here’s what you need to know about the historic Final Four and the last time four No. 1 teams qualified for the Final Four:
When is the last time the Final Four featured four No. 1 seeds?
During the 2008 NCAA Tournament, all four No. 1 seeds qualified for the Final Four, the first time this had happened in tournament history. North Carolina was the No. 1 overall seed, while Kansas, Memphis and UCLA also earned No. 1 seeds.
The Tar Heels (ACC), Jayhawks (Big 12), Memphis (Conference USA) and UCLA (Pac-10) all won their respective conferences. UNC swept through the East Regional with wins over No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s (113-74), No. 9 Arkansas (108-77), No. 4 Washington State (68-47) and No. 3 Louisville (83-73) to reach the Final Four.
In the Midwest Regional, Kansas defeated No. 16 Portland State (85-61), No. 8 UNLV (75-56), No. 12 Villanova (72-57) and No. 10 Davidson (59-57). UCLA beat No. 16 Mississippi State Valley (70-29), No. 9 Texas A&M (51-49), No. 12 Western Kentucky (88-78) and No. 3 Xavier (76-57) in the West Regional.
Memphis defeated No. 16 Texas-Arlington (87-63), No. 8 Mississippi State (77-74), No. 5 Michigan State (92-74) and No. 2 Texas (85-67) in the South Regional. However, the Tigers had all of their wins vacated due to the investigation of Derrick Rose and his eligibility.
In the Final Four at the Alamodome, Kansas knocked off North Carolina 84-66, while Memphis disposed of UCLA 78-63 for both teams to advance to the championship. In the national title game, the Jayhawks, led by Mario Chalmers, beat Memphis 75-68 in overtime.
Who’s in the 2025 Final Four?
For just the second time in tournament history, the 2025 Final Four will feature four No. 1 seeds. Auburn, the top seed in the Big Dance this season, was the final team to qualify for the Final Four with a 70-64 win over Michigan State. The Tigers also had wins over No. 16 Alabama State (83-63), No. 9 Creighton (82-70) and No. 5 Michigan (78-65).
Duke has been the most dominant team during the tournament, with victories over No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s (93-49), No. 9 Baylor (89-66), No. 4 Arizona (100-93) and No. 2 Alabama (85-65). Houston defeated No. 16 SIU Edwardsville (78-40), No. 8 Gonzaga (81-76), No. 4 Purdue (62-60) and No. 2 Tennessee (69-50).
Meanwhile, Florida has had the bumpiest ride, needing two late comeback victories. The Gators defeated No. 16 Norfolk State (95-69), No. 8 UConn (77-75), No. 4 Maryland (87-71) and No. 3 Texas Tech (84-79).
- No. 1 Auburn (South)
- No. 1 Duke (East)
- No. 1 Houston (Midwest)
- No. 1 Florida (West)
Final Four schedule
Saturday, April 5
