NCAA Championship 2025: Team Analysis and How to Watch Anywhere

The wonderful NCAA semi-finals came to an end. The Florida Gators and Houston Cougars each launched second-half comebacks against the Auburn Tigers and Duke Blue Devils, respectively, to punch their tickets to what is shaping up to be a historic title game.

The 2025 March Madness tournament will also come to a close with the national championship between No. 1 Houston and No. 1 Florida on Monday, April 7, at Alamodome in San Antonio, TX.

The exciting championship game is just around the corner! Let us wait and see which team will win the championship! Learn more about the teams and how to watch anywhere in this blog. Here is the match schedule:

Detailed Introduction of Each Team

Florida Gators

Florida is returning for the first time since winning back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. It's the Gators fourth trip all-time, having lost their first appearance in 2000.

How Florida Got to the National Championship

Florida came into the tournament as the second-most picked team to win it all (17.51%) in the March Madness Men's Bracket Challenge Game. The Gators had a couple of close calls along the way. Here's how they got to the national championship:

• ·First Round: No. 1 Florida 95, No. 16 Norfolk State 69
• ·Second Round: No. 1 Florida 77, No. 8 UConn 75
• ·Sweet 16: No. 1 Florida 87, No. 4 Maryland 71
• ·Elite Eight: No. 1 Florida 84, No. 3 Texas Tech 79
• ·Final Four: No. 1 Florida 79, No. 1 Auburn 73

Semi-final Performance

Florida defeated Auburn 79-73. Whenever things begin to fall apart, Florida turns to its star -- it's in those moments when the best version of Walter Clayton Jr., an AP first team All-American, shows up. It happened again Saturday, as Clayton took it upon himself (again) to ruin Auburn's dreams and send the Tigers home when he scored a game-high 34 points. A late 3-point play -- a bucket and a free throw after a foul -- sealed the win for a determined Florida squad. Down by nine points early in the second half, the Gators turned to their hero, who extended his postseason display of back-breaking shots as he led Florida out of another hole to help the program advance to the national title game Monday night for the first time since 2007.

Walter Clayton Jr.

Walter Clayton Jr. had a very good performance in the semifinals. The senior guard became the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 to produce back-to-back 30-point games in the Elite Eight and national semifinals. He finished with 34 points and five 3-pointers, with Auburn unable to defend him. Florida looked stagnant offensively with him on the bench in the first half, but came to life when he got going after the break. Auburn had no answer for his stunning shotmaking ability. Bruce Pearl switched his big wings onto Clayton, but it didn't matter. Contested shots, getting run off the 3-point line -- Clayton found a way. It was a remarkable performance.

Houston Cougars Font

This is Houston's third trip to the final stage of the NCAA tournament and first since losing its previous two appearances in 1983 and 1984. The Cougars' previous six Final Fours are the most without a title by an program in NCAA tournament history. And Kelvin Sampson is the second-most winningest active head coach without a championship.

How Houston Got to the National Championship

Houston entered the tournament as the fourth-most-picked team to win it all (7.29%) in the March Madness Men's Bracket Challenge Game. The Cougars rallied past Duke in the final minute, shocking the Blue Devils and advancing to their first title game since 1984.

• ·First Round: No. 1 Houston 78, No. 16 SIU Edwardsville 40
• ·Second Round: No. 1 Houston 81, No. 8 Gonzaga 76
• ·Sweet 16: No. 1 Houston 62, No. 4 Purdue 60
• ·Elite Eight: No. 1 Houston 69, No. 2 Tennessee 50
• ·Final Four: No. 1 Houston 70, No. 1 Duke 67

Semi-final Performance

Houston went on a 9-0 run in the final 35 seconds to win 70-67. While the Gators boast a potent offense, they will be running into a buzzsaw that is the Houston defense. The Cougars play a suffocating style of basketball, leading the nation in points allowed — just one of two teams in the country holding teams to under 60 points per game on average.

Houston went on a 15-2 run, including 11-1 in the last 1:14, to win 70-67. Duke was still up 64-55 with 3:03 to play but Houston just put their heads down and went to work. It got really difficult to get the ball inbounds and even when JoJo Tugler got a technical for touching the ball when Sion James tried to get it in with 1:14 left, Kon Knueppel hit the foul shot, but Duke couldn’t convert the basket on the following possession. Then Emanuel Sharp hit a three.

L.J. Cryer

L.J. Cryer was outstanding in Houston's 70-67 victory over Duke in the 2025 NCAA semifinals. He was the team's leading scorer with 26 points to help Houston advance to its first national championship game since 1984. Cryer's shooting was crucial to the Cougars' success, especially as they mounted a comeback in the final minutes. His offensive production was a key factor in Houston's ability to overcome a 14-point deficit, demonstrating his resilience and ability to perform under pressure.

How to Watch NCAA Championship Live Streams in the US

TV Broadcast

CBS typically broadcasts Championship game. You can check the local listings for the exact channel, or you can stream it through CBS Network. Additionally, you can also watch the final on TBS, TNT, and TruTV.

Streaming Services

Many streaming platforms offer access to CBS and related channels. These include:

• ·Paramount+: Seven-day free trial. Paramount+ is streaming NCAA Tournament games broadcast on CBS, including championship game. You can watch live or catch up with replays at your convenience. Check your local listings to see which games will be on CBS in your area. 
• ·Hulu+Live TV: Three-day free trial. Hulu with Live TV costs $83 a month.
• ·YouTube TV: Seven-day free trial. If you subscribe to the 4K Plus add-on, it’s free for 30 days.
• ·Fubo TV: Seven-day free trial. $60 for the first month and $85 per month thereafter.

How to Watch NCAA Championship Live Streams in the Region Where are Unavailable to Broadcast

Online viewing of this match is prone to blackout restrictions, mainly due to restrictions on regional broadcasting rights and exclusive broadcasting rights, as well as encouraging users near the venue to watch the games on-site. The final of March Madness will be held in San Antonio, Texas, where local people are unlikely to be able to watch the games online. This is where Turbo VPN can be used to connect to Colorado and Hawaii servers to watch the match.

What's more, streaming platforms in other countries do not support watching the live broadcast of championship game, so NCAA fans in other countries can use Turbo VPN to connect to the US server and choose the streaming platform that can be watched.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Download Turbo VPN

Choose a reliable and safe VPN for streaming. Turbo VPN is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chrome. Visit the official website or head to your device's app store to install the VPN.

Step 2: Connect to a Server and Choose a Streaming Platform

Launch your VPN and select a server location. Then, open the streaming platform you want to watch.

• ·For example, connect to a US server to get a US IP and stream NCAA championship game securely on Paramount+ or other platforms. In addition, if you are expected to watch live streams with no lag and low latency, you can choose a server optimized for the stream you want to watch.

Step 3: Enjoy Watching Final Four!

After completing step 2, you can enjoy your entertainment time and feel passionate game in NCAA Final!

Championship History

Below is a list of NCAA Men's Basketball Championships that have been won in the last ten years: