For most college basketball teams, reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament signifies a successful season.
For Florida Gulf Coast, the 15th-seeded Cinderella squad that knocked off Georgetown and San Diego State in March, the run to the Sweet 16 merited rings.
Nicole Auberach of USA Today, whose excellent profile of Florida Gulf Coast was published this week, tweeted these photos of the rings:
A photo from my trip to Dunk City. Sweet 16 rings! pic.twitter.com/7nHGzy5cyd
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 25, 2013
One more… pic.twitter.com/OfyxsM0JRE
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 25, 2013
The rings look pretty cool, and you've got to love that they have "Dunk City" engraved on them. However, some people on Twitter questioned whether a team deserves rings for winning two games at the NCAA tournament:
I didn't know you could get rings for loosing. #FGCU #DunkCity pic.twitter.com/XlIghGNi7C
— Alan Becker (@alanbeckerrr) September 26, 2013
Via @NicoleAuerbach pic of FGCU Sweet 16 rings. Explorers getting one? Is a Sweet 16 ring necessary? pic.twitter.com/ewdf1ikiGN
— David Grzybowski (@SportsTalkPhila) September 25, 2013
In most cases, teams probably wouldn't get Sweet 16 rings. But for Florida Gulf Coast, a squad that literally made history with its run, we can see a case for the jewelry.