Saint Francis forward Cam Tweedy, left, tries to defend against 7-foot-9 Florida center Olivier Rioux during the second half on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Morgan Hurd)
Florida’s 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux, back center, gathers with coaches and teammates at a practice on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 Florida player, practices with the team, Friday Oct. 18, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Seven-foot-9 Florida center Olivier Rioux, left, stands beside Prairie View A&M forward Hassane Diallo during the second half of an NCAA Tournament first-round game on Friday, March 20, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida center Olivier Rioux dunks in front of Prairie View A&M guard Jannoy Thomas (10) during the second half of their NCAA Tournament first-round game on Friday, March 20, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Florida center Olivier Rioux warms up before a game against Wake Forest on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Florida center Olivier Rioux (32) pushes past North Florida forward Nestor Dyachok (24) and guard Dante Oliver (5) during the second half on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris Watkins)
Florida center Olivier Rioux, right, watches from the end of the bench during the first half of a game against Wake Forest on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Seven-foot-9 Florida center Olivier Rioux, upper left, huddles with teammates on the court after a game against Wichita State on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
IRVINE — The world’s tallest college basketball player is going from coast to coast.
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Former Florida walk-on Olivier Rioux, a 7-foot-9 center from Canada and one of the most recognizable student-athletes in North America, announced Thursday he has signed with UC Irvine.
“Olivier is a high-character young man whose presence will elevate our team, our university, and our community,” UC Irvine coach Russell Turner said in a statement. “He embodies the values that have defined our success at UC Irvine.
“We’ve built a strong relationship with Olivier and his family over the years, dating back to his high school recruitment, and that familiarity gives us tremendous belief in who he is both on and off the court. Olivier’s unique skill set and physical presence align perfectly with the tradition of dominant frontcourt players in our program. We believe he will have an immediate impact and continue to grow within our system, and we are thrilled to have him join the Anteater family.”
Rioux played sparingly in two years with the Gators, redshirting as a true freshman during the team’s national championship season and then getting on the court in mop-up duty this past season. He played 15 total minutes, finishing with seven points, six rebounds and an assist.
He set a Guinness World Record as the world’s tallest teen before he stepped foot on campus. Now 20, he’s looking for a chance to play more as a third-year sophomore.
Rioux became the tallest person to ever play college basketball when he made his debut in a 104-64 victory over North Florida last November. He scored three games later, making a free throw after getting fouled. He also recorded his first rebound.
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Rioux is 2 inches taller than former NBA giants Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol, and 3 inches taller than popular big men Yao Ming, Tacko Fall and Shawn Bradley.
Florida coach Todd Golden gave Rioux the option of playing sparingly as a true freshman or taking a redshirt season and working on his game. Rioux chose the latter. Nonetheless, he was a walking viral video, from riding his custom-made bike on campus, to ducking under every doorway, to cutting down nets while standing flat-footed during Florida’s NCAA Tournament run.
Golden made it clear before last season that Rioux would only play late in blowouts, the result of having all four frontcourt players returning. But Rioux doubled down on wanting to be at Florida and welcomed the challenge of playing against Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Micah Handlogten in practice and behind them in games.
Now he will try to get on the court more often at UCI, which has a strong track record with big men. Mamadou N’Diaye was the tallest player in college basketball, at 7-6, when he started at UCI in 2013. He played three years, setting the school record for blocked shots in a career with 218 and in a single game with 11.
UCI won the Big West regular-season title last season but lost to Hawaii in the Big West Tournament title game and ended up in the NIT, losing a first-round game to UNLV at the Bren Events Center.
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