With the conclusion of last week’s College World Series, athletics at UF for the 2016-17 NCAA season have officially come to an end.
The Gators competed in 21 Division I varsity sports throughout the fall, spring and summer, racking up eight regular season and postseason conference championships as well as three national championships in baseball, women’s tennis and men’s outdoor track and field.
Florida now has 39 national championships across 14 different sports in its all-time history. Women’s tennis has the most with seven, while men’s golf, gymnastics and men’s outdoor track and field each have four.
UF also entered exclusive company this year as one of only four schools in NCAA history with a title in football, men’s basketball and baseball, joining Ohio State, Michigan and UCLA.
Aside from its three national championships in 2016-17, the Gators also saw deep postseason runs from the men’s basketball, women’s golf, gymnastics, softball, men’s swimming and diving and men’s indoor track and field teams.
On the gridiron, the football team reached the SEC Championship Game for the second consecutive year, and other sports like men’s golf, lacrosse, soccer and volleyball had respectable campaigns as well.
“It has been another terrific year in Gator Athletics,” athletic director Scott Stricklin wrote in a message to fans on June 22. “There has been a lot of fun packed into a short period of time, and that fun is directly attributable to our remarkable student-athletes, coaches, staff and fans.”
UF’s widespread success this season culminated in a third place finish in the Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings, marking Florida’s ninth consecutive top-five finish in the national all-sports rankings. Only Stanford and Ohio State’s athletic programs had a better year than the Gators did in 2016-17. Here is the full overview for how each varsity sport finished:
2016-17 Florida Gators Year in Review
Baseball: Won SEC Regular Season Championship, Lost in SEC Tournament Semifinals, Won NCAA Tournament Championship
Men’s Basketball: Finished Second in SEC Regular Season Standings, Lost in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals, Lost in NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
Women’s Basketball: Finished 12th in SEC Regular Season Standings, Lost in SEC Tournament Second Round, Missed NCAA Tournament
Men’s Cross Country: Finished Eighth in SEC Championship, Finished Eighth in NCAA South Regional Championship
Women’s Cross Country: Finished Eighth in SEC Championship, Finished Sixth in NCAA South Regional Championship
Football: Won SEC East Regular Season Championship, Lost in SEC Championship Game, Won Outback Bowl
Men’s Golf: Lost in SEC Championship Semifinals, Finished Eighth in NCAA Championship Regionals
Women’s Golf: Won SEC Championship, Lost in NCAA Championship Quarterfinals
Gymnastics: Finished Second in SEC Championship, Finished Third in NCAA Championship Super Six
Lacrosse: Won Big East Regular Season Championship, Won Big East Tournament Championship, Lost in NCAA Tournament Second Round
Soccer: Finished Third in SEC Regular Season Standings, Won SEC Tournament Championship, Lost in NCAA Tournament Third Round
Softball: Won SEC Regular Season Championship, Lost in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals, Lost in NCAA Tournament Women’s College World Series Finals
Men’s Swimming & Diving: Won SEC Championship, Finished Third in NCAA Championship
Women’s Swimming & Diving: Finished Seventh in SEC Championship, Finished 50th in NCAA Championship
Men’s Tennis: Finished Third in SEC Regular Season Standings, Lost in SEC Tournament Semifinals, Lost in NCAA Tournament Third Round
Women’s Tennis: Finished Second in SEC Regular Season Standings, Lost in SEC Tournament Finals, Won NCAA Tournament Championship
Men’s Indoor Track & Field: Finished Third in SEC Championship, Finished Second in NCAA Championship
Women’s Indoor Track & Field: Finished Eighth in SEC Championship, Finished 14th in NCAA Championship
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field: Finished Fourth in SEC Championship, Won NCAA Championship
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field: Finished Fifth in SEC Championship, Finished Fifth in NCAA Championship
Volleyball: Won SEC Regular Season Championship, Lost in NCAA Tournament Second Round
Florida’s men’s basketball team celebrates after its 84-83 victory over Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament on March 24, 2017, in New York City.
