GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As Florida Gators’ traditions go, it’s a new one. Newer, even, than “I Won’t Back Down,” circa 2017. 
 
But the Southeastern Conference and national championship banners that hang from ceiling of the Heavener Football Training Center – in the appropriately named Jeremy Foley Hall of Champions – have been there for three years now and annually require updating. When it’s time to add another year (i.e., title) to a particular sports’ flag, a crowd gathers in the Condron Dining Hall for the proceedings. 
 
Such was the case at lunchtime Tuesday. 
 
“We’re going to add three more,” UF athletic director Scott Stricklin proudly pronounced. 
 

Today, we honored three SEC Champions and the 2025 Men’s Basketball National Champions! 💍

🔗: https://t.co/LCUSQAda9V pic.twitter.com/aIOvOwdcES

— Florida Victorious (@Fl_Victorious) August 26, 2025

With that, the updated banners for lacrosse, men’s golf and men’s basketball were unveiled commemorating their sensational spring seasons to rounds of applause from the student-athletes, coaches and support staff from a variety of UF’s teams gathered in the area. 
 
Lacrosse went first. Coach Amanda O’Leary’s team captured the crown in its inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference on its way to winning 20 games, including an 11^th consecutive league tournament, and advancing to a second straight Final Four. 
 
Next came men’s golf, which in battling to a second SEC title in the last three seasons (and 17^th in program history), also extended UF’s league-best streak of winning at least one conference team championship 47 years in a row, while securing the 266^th all-time SEC crown, also tops in the conference. 
 
Then, it was basketball’s turn. 
 
“It’s really cool when we unveil a SEC championship,” Stricklin said. “It’s super fun when we unveil a national championship.” 
 
Coach Todd Golden, in just his third season, guided the Gators to a 36-4 record, along the way winning the SEC Tournament in a precursor to the six-game run through the NCAA Tournament that culminated with a trio of come-from-behind wins, including the pulsating 65-63 defeat of Houston in the NCAA final at San Antonio. 
 
Make that 49 all-time national championships for the Gators, including three for men’s hoops. 
 
“The crazy thing for Todd is that it happened so fast,” men’s golf coach J.C. Deacon said of his friend and colleague who, at 39, became the youngest coach to win a NCAA men’s title since Jim Valvano in 1983. “I’ve told him, you can have 15 more great teams over the next 15 years and not win another one of those, so you’ve got to enjoy this.” 
 
Make no mistake, Golden and his Gators have enjoyed it. This was the latest in a long line of perks.
 
“It’s incredibly special,” Golden said. “For these players to be recognized in front of their peers like this I think is really neat. To win a national championship at a place like Florida, you’re part of a special fraternity.”
 
As well as a special tradition, albeit a relatively fresh one. 
 
After the basketball unveiling showed the 2025 alongside Billy Donovan’s 2006 and 2007 championships, junior center Rueben Chinyelu grabbed the microphone from Stricklin. And while Chinyelu, who talks very fast through his thick Nigerian accent, can sometimes be hard to understand, a couple phrases were easily deciphered. 
 
“We’re an everything school,” Chinyelu said. “And we don’t back down.”
 
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu