Report: Gators Finalizing Season-Opener for Title Defense Campaign

LAS VEGAS-- The Florida Gators' defense of its 2024-25 national championship will start in Sin City.

Todd Golden and his Gators squad are finalizing an agreement to face Arizona on Nov. 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to open the 2025-26 college basketball season, according to CBS Sports' college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.

The matchup will be one of a double-header on the first night of the 2025-26 season alongside a matchup between BYU and Villanova, which will also take place in Las Vegas.

Tip-off times, television designations are other gameday-related information will be released at a later time.

Next season's meeting between the Gators and the Wildcats will be the first since the 2012-13 season but fifth since the two first met during the 2001-02 season. The series record sits at a 2-2 split after Arizona's 65-64 win in Tuscon on Dec. 15, 2012. Florida won the previous two matchups in 2011 and 2003 after the Wildcats opened the series with a win in 2001.

The Gators will have a relatively new team after winning its third title in program history. Florida will see the departure of three starters due to graduation in guards Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard while seeing three more leave to transfer in reserve guard Kajus Kublickas, bench forward Sam Alexis and rotational guard Denzel Aberdeen, who was expected to be a starter next season.

Forward Thomas Haugh, the Gators' sixth man last year, is being elevated to the starting lineup in Richard's place.

Florida has also seen starters Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu declare for the 2025 NBA Draft while retaining their collegiate eligibilities.

With all the roster movement, the Gators have added two guards through the portal so far in Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee, who appears primed to take over Clayton Jr.'s spot as the point guard, and Ohio transfer AJ Brown, brother of rising sophomore Isaiah Brown. Florida is also in a strong position to add another guard in USC transfer Desmond Claude.

Florida will also add two high schoolers to the fold in four-star guard Alex Lloyd and four-star guard/forward CJ Ingram.

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