The SEC didn’t do any record-breaking this time around like it did a year ago on Selection Sunday, when an astounding 14 of the conference’s 16 teams were picked for the 68-team field.
Getting 14 teams into the Big Dance in 2025 shattered the previous record held by the Big East, which got 11 of its 16 teams into the NCAA Tournament in 2011. The SEC put itself in select company in 2025, but in 2026 it didn’t do so badly either, getting 10 teams into the tournament, which begins on Tuesday and cranks up in full on Thursday.
One of those 14 teams that got in a year ago from the SEC was Florida, which went all the way and won the national title. The Gators are back again to defend their title this March (and maybe April), and Florida was rewarded for its SEC regular-season championship by earning a No. 1 seed as they go for a repeat.
But Florida is hardly alone in national championship contenders from the SEC. There is John Calipari’s Arkansas team, which on Sunday won the SEC Tournament title over Vanderbilt, which also will be heading to the NCAA Tournament to do some more damage.
Joining UF, Arkansas and Vandy is Alabama, which finished 2nd in the SEC during the regular season and boasts another potent lineup under head coach Nate Oats. Tennessee is locked and loaded for another NCAA Tournament run, too, as the Volunteers will be trying to maximize their potential when it really matters after finishing 5th in the SEC during the regular season.
After an up-and-down regular season and spirited run to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, Kentucky is headed back to the NCAA Tournament, where it will try to cash in on the potential Mark Pope keeps talking about for his Wildcats. Mizzou is also heading to the NCAA Tournament after squeezing into the field as a No. 10 seed following some question marks going into Selection Sunday.
Another close call was Texas A&M, which finished 6th in the SEC during the regular season but flamed out in the second round of the SEC Tournament, getting blown out by Oklahoma. The Aggies ultimately were rewarded by the selection committee on Sunday with an NCAA Tournament bid as a No. 10 seed, but the 19-15 Sooners were on the outside looking in from the NCAA field despite their run to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
There were some other SEC bubble situations going into Sunday, and those questions were answered by the selection committee. Auburn‘s NCAA Tournament case was the most highly publicized, but the Tigers ultimately didn’t get in with their mediocre 17-16 record.
There were also the NCAA cases of Georgia and Texas. The Longhorns barely got into the 68-team field but will have to earn their way any further after being picked as an No. 11 seed going up against NC State in a First Four game.
Georgia also squeezed into the NCAA field as a No. 8 seed after the 22-10 Bulldogs didn’t exactly help themselves with an early exit in the SEC Tournament.
With a plethora of SEC teams making the 2026 NCAA Tournament, there are chances for plenty of SEC teams to make the Sweet 16. Here is how the Kalshi market sees the top teams in the mix to get all the way to that coveted Sweet 16:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
