Why Does the Men's NCAA Championship Start So Late? Exploring the Reasons Behind the Timing of the Florida vs. Houston Game

The 2025 Men's NCAA Championship game between the Houston Cougars and the Florida Gators is set to tipoff on Monday night at 8:50 p.m. ET. That is pretty late if you look at the women's championship game that took place on Sunday.

So let's look at some of the possible reasons behind the timing of the game.

Why is the Florida vs. Houston Game Scheduled So Late?

The matchup is set to tipoff by 7:50 p.m. in San Antonio, which is the venue for the game. While there has been no official explanation given by the NCAA for the timing, such a slot is probably set to get more viewers for the game.

Unlike the women's final, which took place on the weekends, the men's game is scheduled for a Monday. So the time has been set for the evening so that people can watch it after getting home from work.

However, this has been an issue among college basketball fans for several years as many believe the national championship game kickstarts too late.

Who is Favored to win the Men's NCAA Championship Game?

This is a tough one to call, which is evident by the odds of the game. However, Florida is slightly favored at -115, while Houston is -105, per Bet365.

Florida is back in the championship game after 18 long years. The last time the Gators reached this stage was in 2007. And it's a good omen for the program, as they won the title the last two times they played in the national championship game, which were back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. The only time Florida lost an NCAA championship final was in 2000 against Michigan State.

They face an illustrious opposition in Houston, which has been the dark horse this year. However, the Cougars have never had their hands on the NCAA title, and they last reached this stage back in 1984, which was the second successive year they lost the national championship game, having done so in 1983.

This is set to be a tight matchup, with both teams seeded No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament, while also having an identical 35-4 record.