Florida center Olivier Rioux set an NCAA record by simply entering the game on Thursday night.
The redshirt freshman became the tallest Division I player ever to appear in a game when he checked in with just over two minutes to go in the Gators blowout win over North Florida.
Rioux is officially listed at 7-9 by Florida and spent the 2024-25 season on the bench as the Gators won the national title. If he makes the NBA and his height officially holds up, Rioux would be the tallest NBA player ever by two inches over Gheorghe Muresan.
Hes also two inches taller than Kenny George and Mike Lanier. The two 7-7 centers previously held the record for the tallest Division I players ever. George played from 2006 through 2008 at UNC Asheville and Lanier played from 1988 through 1993 at both Hardin-Simmons and UCLA.
Before signing with Florida, Rioux set the Guinness World Record for tallest teenager at the age of 15 when he was 7-6.
Riouxs height was even of interest from the Florida football team this summer. The Gators experimented with Rioux on the field goal block team given his height and his reach. However, according to an article from ESPN, the centers vertical jump is just 11 inches.
Rioux didnt record a statistic in his two minutes of action in the 104-64 win against North Florida and will seemingly be a bit part of the Gators title defense. Florida brought back players like Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu from that national title team and are loaded in the front court ahead of Rioux on the depth chart.