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Has Florida Atlantic ever advanced to the Final Four in NCAA Tournament?

The Owls are headed to the Elite Eight after taking down Tennessee in the Sweet 16. We look at whether or not FAU has ever been to the Final Four, let alone this far.

By Nick Simon
Brandon Weatherspoon #23 of the Florida Atlantic Owls reacts against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half in the Sweet 16 round game of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2023 in New York City. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Update: Florida Atlantic defeated Kansas State 79-76 in the Elite Eight on Saturday. The Owls are heading to the Final Four for the first time in history.

The No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls are headed to the Elite Eight after a 62-55 victory over the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in the Sweet 16 of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Here we’ll look at the history of the Owls in the tournament and whether or not FAU has reached the Final Four in school history.

2023 NCAA Tournament history

Last time Florida Atlantic was in Final Four

Florida Atlantic has never made the Final Four in its program’s history. Prior to this season, the Owls’ lone NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2002, where they earned a bid by winning the Atlantic Sun Tournament. As a 15-seed, they’d end up falling to two-seed Alabama 86-78 in the first round.

FAU started its men’s basketball program as a DII independent in 1988 and made the jump up to DI in 1993. Outside of the surprise NCAA Tournament appearance in 2002 and a trip to the NIT in 2011, it would spend most of its existence in DI as a doormat in the Atlantic Sun, the Sun Belt, and Conference USA. The arrival of head coach Dusty May triggered a significant turnaround for the Owls as they posted four winning seasons in a row before this year’s breakout campaign.

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