How To Watch Florida Gators Men’s Basketball in 2025–2026

✦ Edited and fact-checked by Sports Editor Taylor Kujawa, our resident TV expert with over eight years of covering sports.

A new look for the defending champs

It’s a strange and thrilling time to be a Gators fan. Last season’s magical title run was defined by the “three-headed monster” backcourt of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Will Richard. With that entire trio now in the NBA, the Florida squad’s identity completely flips. This is no longer a guard-led team. It’s now built around a dominant frontcourt—widely considered the best in the nation—featuring stars Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh, the interior presence of Rueben Chinyelu, and the return of 7’1″ Micah Handlogten from injury.

Coach Todd Golden attacked the portal to build a new backcourt from scratch, bringing in explosive former five-star recruit Boogie Fland (Arkansas) to run the point and All-Ivy scorer Xaivian Lee (Princeton) to provide offensive firepower. The entire season hinges on one question: How quickly can the new guards mesh with the established bigs? This new-look roster will be tested immediately, with a brutal non-conference schedule and a grueling test of SEC games waiting for them.

The majority of Florida’s games will air nationally across the ESPN family of networks, including SEC Network. Marquee matchups will also land on CBS, FOX, FS1, and even TNT Sports. As a fan trying to navigate this new streaming world, finding every single game can be a challenge. Here’s my complete guide on how to watch Florida Gators basketball as they begin their title defense.

2025–2026 Florida men’s basketball TV schedule

The Gators aren’t easing into their title defense. Their 2025–2026 non-conference schedule is one of the toughest in the country, starting with a blockbuster season opener in Las Vegas against Arizona. The team will barely have time to breathe before facing in-state rivals Florida State and Miami, followed by a trip to Duke for the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge and a showdown with UConn in the Jimmy V Classic.

The Gators’ SEC slate will be just as demanding, including the customary home-and-home series against chief rival Kentucky. This schedule is built to forge a new identity and test the team’s championship mettle long before March arrives. Check out the full calendar below, complete with tip-off times and channel listings.

Data effective as of post date.

Best TV plans for watching Florida men’s basketball

To watch the Florida Gators this season, you need a TV plan that covers four main broadcast groups: the ESPN family (SEC Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU), your local CBS and FOX affiliates, and national cable channels (FS1, TNT Sports). With the launch of ESPN and FOX’s new standalone streaming services, you have more options than ever. But I still recommend an all-in-one live TV streaming service as the simplest, most reliable way to get every single game.

My top pick is Hulu + Live TV, as it includes your local CBS and FOX stations, the full ESPN channel suite, FS1, and TNT. Crucially, Hulu + Live TV also includes complete access to ESPN Unlimited, which is essential for catching those digital-only SEC Network+ games. For one monthly price, you get 100% of the Gators’ schedule without worrying about which app or channel to find.

If you prefer a more budget-focused approach, you could pair the new standalone ESPN Unlimited plan (which has all SECN/ESPN games) with a good over-the-air (OTA) antenna to get local CBS and FOX games for free. But you would still miss any games on FS1 and TNT, which makes all-in-one streamers a much cleaner solution.

How to watch Florida men’s basketball FAQ

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