The riveting action took viewers by storm, too. Monday's national championship averaged 18.1 million viewers on CBS, up 22% year-over-year and the most-watched title game since 2019, when Virginia beat Texas Tech in overtime. During a hectic finish between the Gators and Cougars, viewership peaked at 21.1 million.

Clayton helped lead Florida to a huge comeback to stun Houston and grab a 65-63 win in the national championship game in San Antonio, Texas. Clayton, despite a very slow start in the title game that saw him go more than 25 minutes without scoring, was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.