Amanda Knapp
The SEC men's basketball tournament is the conference tournament for the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is a single-elimination tournament involving all 16 league schools. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but the official conference championship is awarded to the team with the best regular-season record. Before 2012, the top two teams in the Eastern and Western Divisions received byes in the first round, but since then, the top four teams in the conference standings have received first-round byes. The SEC Tournament was cancelled after the first round in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 12th March 2025 - 16th March 2025 |
| Location | Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN |
| Teams | 16 |
| Winner | Florida Gators |
| Runner-up | Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee |
| No. of Teams in the Eastern Division | 6 |
| No. of Teams in the Western Division | 6 |
| No. of Teams in the Conference | 14 |
| MVP | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
History of the SEC men's basketball tournament
The SEC men's basketball tournament is the conference tournament for the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is a single-elimination tournament involving all 16 league schools, with seeding based on regular-season records. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but the official conference championship goes to the team with the best regular-season record.
The tournament has a rich history, dating back to its early years before 1953. However, between 1953 and 1978, the SEC did not hold a conference tournament. During this period, the SEC awarded its championship and NCAA Tournament berth to the team with the best conference winning percentage. In 1979, the tournament was renewed, and the winner started receiving the SEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Still, the official league champion remained the team with the best regular-season record.
From 1967 to 1991, the round-robin schedule was 18 games due to Tulane's departure. The SEC then split into an Eastern and Western Division, awarding division championships while continuing to recognise the SEC Champion based on performance in the 16-game conference schedule. Starting with the 2011-2012 season, the divisions were eliminated, and with the addition of Texas A&M and Missouri, the regular season expanded to an 18-game conference schedule from 2012-2013.
The SEC tournament championship game has been held at various venues, including the Georgia Dome, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Bridgestone Arena, BJCC Coliseum, the Pyramid, Rupp Arena, and Louisville Gardens. The tournament has seen memorable moments, such as when the Arkansas Razorbacks became the first team since the 1992 league expansion to win the conference tournament by playing all four days in 2000. In 2008, a tornado struck the downtown Atlanta area during the tournament, causing the relocation of several games to Alexander Memorial Coliseum at Georgia Tech. The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted the tournament in 2020, leading to its cancellation after the first round.
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2025 SEC men's basketball tournament results
The Florida Gators won the 2025 SEC men's basketball tournament, claiming their fifth-ever title and first since 2014. The tournament took place at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, from Wednesday, March 12 to Sunday, March 16. Auburn was the No. 1 seed.
Game 1: No. 9 Arkansas 72, No. 16 South Carolina 68
Game 2: No. 13 Texas 79, No. 12 Vanderbilt 72
Game 3: No. 10 Mississippi State 91, No. 15 LSU 62
Game 4: No. 14 Oklahoma 81, No. 11 Georgia 75
Game 5: No. 8 Ole Miss 83, No. 9 Arkansas 80
Game 6: No. 13 Texas 94, No. 5 Texas A&M 89
Game 7: No. 7 Missouri 85, No. 10 Mississippi State 73
Game 8: No. 6 Kentucky 85, No. 14 Oklahoma 84
In the championship game, the Florida Gators beat Missouri, Alabama, and Tennessee to claim the title. The SEC men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament involving all league schools, currently 16. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament, while the official conference championship is awarded to the team with the best regular-season record.
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Past winners of the SEC tournament
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) holds an annual men's basketball competition, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The tournament features 14 teams, including Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt.
2025: Florida Gators
The Florida Gators won the 2025 SEC men's basketball tournament, claiming their fifth title. They defeated Missouri, Alabama, and Tennessee in the championship game.
2019: Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers defeated Tennessee 84-64 to win the 2019 SEC tournament. This was Auburn's second SEC tournament championship.
Other Past Winners:
- Florida Gators: Defeated South Carolina to win their third consecutive title. Al Horford was named tournament MVP.
- Kentucky: Defeated Florida 89-73 to win back-to-back titles. Gerald Fitch was the tournament MVP.
- Florida: Defeated Kentucky 70-53 to win the championship. Matt Walsh was named MVP.
- Georgia: Won their second championship title by defeating Arkansas 66-57. Sundiata Gaines was the tournament MVP.
- Mississippi State: Defeated Tennessee 64-61 to win their third title.
- Ole Miss Rebels: Defeated Florida 66-63 to win their second championship. Marshall Henderson was named tournament MVP.
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SEC tournament seeding
The seeding for the SEC men's basketball tournament is based on regular season records. The tournament is a single-elimination format that involves all 16 league schools.
Historically, the top two teams in the Eastern and Western Divisions received byes in the first round, while #3 in the East played #6 from the West, #4 played #5, and so on. The bracket contained the odd-numbered seeds from one division and the even-numbered seeds from the other. This meant that #2 would play the winner of the game involving #3 from the other division, and #1 would play the winner of the #4 vs. #5 game. The semifinals would then pit #1 from one division against #2 from the other, with the championship game featuring the regular season winners of the two divisions.
However, since the abandonment of divisions in SEC men's basketball starting in the 2011-12 season, the top four teams in the conference standings receive first-round byes. With the addition of Texas A&M and Missouri to the conference, the regular season expanded to an 18-game conference schedule starting in 2012-13.
In terms of overall tournament success, Kentucky has won the most SEC tournament titles, with 32. Auburn is the defending champion, having won the 2024 title game against Florida, 86-67.
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Changes to the SEC tournament format
The SEC men's basketball tournament is the conference tournament in basketball for the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The tournament format has undergone several changes over the years, especially with the addition of new teams to the conference. Here are the key changes to the SEC tournament format:
- Expansion to 14 Schools: In 2012, the SEC expanded to 14 schools with the inclusion of Missouri and Texas A&M. This expansion led to a new tournament format starting in 2013. The four bottom seeds (#11 to #14) played opening-round games, while the top four seeds received a "double-bye" into the quarterfinals. This change eliminated the previous format where the top two teams in the Eastern and Western Divisions received byes, and the remaining teams were paired across divisions.
- Abandonment of Divisions: Beginning with the 2011-2012 season, the SEC abandoned divisions in men's basketball. This change meant that the top four teams in the conference standings, regardless of division, received first-round byes. The bracketing was similar to that of the SEC women's basketball tournament, which has always been organized without divisions.
- Expansion to 18 Conference Games: With the addition of Texas A&M and Missouri, the regular season schedule expanded to 18 conference games starting in the 2012-2013 season. This change affected the overall format of the tournament by increasing the number of games played during the regular season.
- Future Changes: The SEC athletics directors have approved changes to the tournament format in preparation for the addition of Oklahoma and Texas for the 2024-2025 athletic year. The revised format will debut in May 2025, and the tournament will continue to span six days.
It is worth noting that the SEC tournament championship game has been held at various prestigious venues throughout its history, including the Georgia Dome, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Bridgestone Arena, and Rupp Arena, among others.
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Frequently asked questions
The SEC men's basketball tournament is an annual event, usually taking place in March. The 2024 tournament took place in March, and the 2025 tournament took place from March 12 to March 16.
The SEC men's basketball tournament is a single-elimination tournament involving all 16 league schools. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The seeding for the SEC tournament is based on the regular-season records of the teams.
Yes, the format has changed over the years. From 1967 to 1991, the round-robin schedule was 18 games. Starting in 1991-1992, the SEC split into an Eastern and Western Division. The Divisions were eliminated starting with the 2011-2012 season.
The SEC tournament championship game has been held at various sites, including the Georgia Dome, Bridgestone Arena, and Rupp Arena.
