The Florida Gators getting a No. 4 seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament on Sunday was both expected and a welcome relief.
By virtue of that No. 4 seed, the Gators were eligible to be geographically protected against having to play a virtual road game in their first round matchup — which, granted, isn’t much of a concern when the foe is likely to bring fewer fans to a subregional site.
But it also meant that Florida was likely to be rewarded for a top-four seed with the shortest trip possible to a subregional — and, because Orlando is hosting subregional play for the first time since 2014, that meant the Gators were ticketed for The City Beautiful.