Cinderella Story: Iowa Stuns Defending Champs Florida in March Madness Thriller

In a stunning upset that will go down in March Madness history, the No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes knocked off the reigning national champions, the Florida Gators, with a thrilling 73-72 victory on Sunday. With just 4.5 seconds remaining, Alvaro Folgueiras nailed a clutch 3-pointer to send the Hawkeyes to the Sweet 16 for the first time in seven years.

Florida, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, became the first top-seeded team to be eliminated from this year's March Madness. Under the leadership of first-year coach Ben McCollum, the Hawkeyes (23-12) overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to pull off the stunning upset over the defending champions.

The game was a back-and-forth thriller, with Iowa building an early lead only to see the Gators rally and take control in the second half. But the resilient Hawkeyes refused to go down without a fight, making key plays down the stretch to secure the victory.

With the win, Iowa advances to the South Region semi-finals on Thursday night in Houston, where they will face No. 4 seed Nebraska. The Hawkeyes, who were making their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2015, will be looking to continue their Cinderella run and potentially punch their ticket to the Elite Eight.

For Florida, the loss marks a disappointing end to their title defense, as the Gators (27-8) were unable to overcome the resilience and clutch shooting of the Hawkeyes. The defeat will undoubtedly sting, but the Gators can take solace in the fact that they put together a strong season and made a deep run in the tournament.

This March Madness upset is sure to go down as one of the most thrilling and memorable moments of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes' victory over the defending champions has captured the attention of sports fans across the country and has set the stage for an exciting Sweet 16 matchup against Nebraska.