Todd Golden reflects on Florida’s title run as Gators prepare for White House visit
After winning their first title since 2007, Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden confirmed the team will have a White House visit.
Speaking on the "Run It Back" show on Friday, Golden went into detail about the championship celebrations. The Florida head coach gave a timeline on the team's White House visit.
"It’s been amazing — great reception in Gainesville, honored at the New York Athletic Club," Golden said (2:16 onwards). "And we're going to the White House next week. We're just trying to enjoy it the best we can."
The head coach had mentioned the school was invited and would make the trip to Washington, during their championship celebration in Gainesville. However, the date wasn't set at that point.
Todd Golden also shared his thoughts on how the Gators found their footing at the right time, playing their best basketball heading into the NCAA tournament.
"We kind of hit our stride in the middle of SEC play and never really looked back," Golden said (1:59). "It was a magical run in the tournament, winning six in a row on the biggest stage.
"For me, it was pretty funny because I had never won an NCAA tournament game before. To get six in a row and win a national title was something we'll never forget."
Before the start of the national tourney, the Gators won the SEC tournament. The conference title became a bigger milestone after the SEC established a record with 14 teams invited to play in the NCAA tournament. The previous record was set by the Big East in 2011, with 11 qualifiers.
The Gators were challenged along the way, barely surviving against the defending champion UConn Huskies in the second round and needing second-half comebacks against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight and the Houston Cougars in the title game.
Florida will be third college team to make White House visit this year
When the Florida Gators make their White House visit, they will become the third college national championship team to visit the White House.
The Ohio State Buckeyes met with President Donald Trump on Apr. 14, but they were not the first college championship team to visit the nation's capital. The North Dakota State Bison, winners of the FCS championship, met the president five days earlier.
Professional and college championship teams have traditionally visited the White House after winning the title. The tradition started during Jimmy Carter's presidency. While sports teams were invited to the White House before, visits were sporadic.