Good Luck to the Owls in the Final Four!

The Final Four is college basketball’s premier event. On Saturday night, Florida Atlantic University will take center stage.

The men’s basketball team will continue its tremendous run through the NCAA Tournament when it plays the San Diego State University Aztecs in the national semifinals in front of more than 70,000 fans at NRG Stadium in Houston. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:09 p.m. The game will be televised on CBS. 

At 35-3, FAU has compiled the nation’s best record and has become only the third No. 9 seed to reach the Final Four after the exciting victory in the East Region final. In addition to winning both the Conference USA regular season and tournament championships, the Owls captured the first four NCAA Tournament wins in program history and stand just two victories shy of a national championship.

The attention the team has brought to Florida Atlantic these past few weeks has been incredible. Our university has been the focus of numerous national television stories, from NBC’s “TODAY” show to ESPN, along with extensive print and online/social media coverage. A personal highlight was to see the Empire State Building lit in FAU red and blue after the Owls advanced to the Final Four with their victory in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Additionally, Head Coach Dusty May was named College Basketball Coach of the Year by CBS Sports yesterday. His leadership has been transformational for our basketball program, and this is one of many well-deserved accolades he has received this season. Congratulations to Coach May. 

It truly has been a memorable month for all associated with FAU, and it’s not over yet! It's been wonderful to see the great passion of FAU students, faculty, staff and fans on display at watch parties these past two weeks. For Saturday, the FAU Alumni Association has planned events at numerous locations across the country. Click here for information about watch parties in Florida, and click here for information about out-of-state watch parties.

In addition to fifth-seeded San Diego State, which won the South Region, the Owls will be joined in Houston by the No. 4 seed University of Connecticut Huskies, winners of the West Region, and the No. 5 seed University of Miami Hurricanes, who triumphed in the Midwest Region. The game between UConn and Miami is scheduled to start at 8:49 p.m. on Saturday.

As a reminder, NCAA Final Four and March Madness licensed apparel is available through a number of local and national retailers. Click here for more information.

I wish all the FAU players, coaches and staff the best of luck in the Final Four. I look forward to cheering them on in Houston.

Go Owls!