Jan. 3, 2026, 11:54 a.m. ET
Saturday marks the start of SEC play for men’s college basketball as the road to the 2026 NCAA Tournament continues.
Last season saw one of the most dominant overall efforts by the conference, sending 14 of its 16 member schools to the Big Dance and culminating in a national championship for the Florida Gators. En route to the trophy, the league had double 1-seeds, double 2-seeds and a pair of Final Four entries (Auburn Tigers and Florida) in the 2025 bracket.
The SEC has taken a step or two back from that superlative showing so far this fall, suggesting that its recent success was unsustainable. However, there are still plenty of competitive teams, even if the league is not as top-heavy as it was prior.
Ahead of the SEC schedule opener, ESPN’s bracketology expert Joe Lunardi took a look at where each team stands as far as overall projections for March Madness. The Orange and Blue landed in the “likely tournament teams” category, along with Auburn, the Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats, and Arkansas Razorbacks.
Take a look below at the numbers breakdown as well as the full projection for all 16 SEC teams.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!SEC by the numbersMinimum projected NCAA bids6Maximum projected NCAA bids10Average NCAA bids*5.2 (4th among top-5 conferences)Average NCAA seed*6.86 (3rd among top-5 conferences)NCAA record*42-26 (.618, 1st among top-5 conferences)
*Data collected over the previous four NCAA tournaments
ESPN’s 2026 bracketology outlook for the SECFinal Four contendersVanderbilt CommodoresAlabama Crimson TideLikely tournament teamsTennessee VolunteersArkansas RazorbacksFlorida GatorsAuburn TigersKentucky WildcatsPossible tournament teamsLSU TigersOklahoma SoonersTexas LonghornsTexas A&M AggiesSleeper teamLong shotsMissouri TigersOle Miss RebelsMaybe next yearMississippi State BulldogsSouth Carolina Gamecocks
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