2026 SEC tournament: Bracket, schedule, scores for men’s basketball
The 2026 SEC basketball event begins Wednesday, March 11 and goes by way of the title sport on Sunday, March 15. The 16-team bracket might be performed at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Check out the bracket, schedule, sport instances and seeds beneath.
Florida is the defending champion, knocking off Tennessee in the 2025 championship game. The Gators then went on to win the NCAA event title.
2026 SEC event bracket
Click or tap here for another look at the bracket
2026 SEC event schedule, scores
All instances ET
First Round — Wednesday, March 11
Second Round — Thursday, March 12
Quarterfinals — Friday, March 13
Semifinals — Saturday, March 14
- Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 1 pm on ESPN
- Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner | 25 minutes after Game 13 on ESPN
Championship — Sunday, March 15
- Game 15: Semifinal winners | 1 pm on ESPN
2026 SEC event seeds
- Florida
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Vanderbilt
- Tennessee
- Texas A&M
- Georgia
- Missouri
- Kentucky
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Auburn
- Mississippi State
- South Carolina
- Ole Miss
- L.S.U.
SEC basketball event historical past, champions
Kentucky has received essentially the most SEC event titles with 32. Florida is the defending champion, because the Gators defeated Tennessee within the 2025 title sport 86-77.
| YEAR | CHAMPION | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Kentucky | 46-27 | Mississippi State | atlanta |
| 1934 | Alabama | 41-25 | Florida | atlanta |
| 1936 | Tennessee | 29-25 | Alabama | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| 1937 | Kentucky | 39-25 | Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| 1938 | Georgia Tech | 58-47 | Ole Miss | Baton Rouge, La. |
| 1939 | Kentucky | 46-38 | Tennessee | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| 1940 | Kentucky | 51-43 | Georgia | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| 1941 | Tennessee | 36-33 | Kentucky | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1942 | Kentucky | 36-34 | Alabama | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1943 | Tennessee | 33-30 | Kentucky | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1944 | Kentucky | 62-46 | tulane | Louisville, Ky. |
| [1945 | Kentucky | 39-35 | Tennessee | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1946 | Kentucky | 59-36 | L.S.U. | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1947 | Kentucky | 55-38 | tulane | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1948 | Kentucky | 54-43 | Georgia Tech | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1949 | Kentucky | 68-52 | tulane | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1950 | Kentucky | 95-58 | Tennessee | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1951 | Vanderbilt | 61-57 | Kentucky | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1952 | Kentucky | 44-43 | L.S.U. | Louisville, Ky. |
| 1979 | Tennessee | 75-69 (OT) | Kentucky | Birmingham, Ala. |
| 1980 | L.S.U. | 80-78 | Kentucky | Birmingham, Ala. |
| 1981 | Ole Miss | 66-62 | Georgia | Birmingham, Ala. |
| 1982 | Alabama | 48-46 | Kentucky | Lexington, Ky. |
| 1983 | Georgia | 86-71 | Alabama | Birmingham, Ala. |
| 1984 | Kentucky | 51-49 | Auburn | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 1985 | Auburn | 53-49 | Alabama | Birmingham, Ala. |
| 1986 | Kentucky | 83-72 | Alabama | Lexington, Ky. |
| 1987 | Alabama | 69-62 | L.S.U. | atlanta |
| 1988 | Kentucky | 62-57 | Georgia | Baton Rouge, La. |
| 1989 | Alabama | 72-60 | Florida | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| 1990 | Alabama | 70-51 | Ole Miss | Orlando, Fla. |
| 1991 | Alabama | 88-69 | Tennessee | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 1992 | Kentucky | 80-54 | Alabama | Birmingham, Ala. |
| 1993 | Kentucky | 82-65 | L.S.U. | Lexington, Ky. |
| 1994 | Kentucky | 73-60 | Florida | Memphis, Tenn. |
| 1995 | Kentucky | 95-93 (OT) | Arkansas | atlanta |
| 1996 | Mississippi State | 84-73 | Kentucky | New Orleans |
| 1997 | Kentucky | 95-68 | Georgia | Memphis, Tenn. |
| 1998 | Kentucky | 86-56 | South Carolina | atlanta |
| 1999 | Kentucky | 76-63 | Arkansas | atlanta |
| 2000 | Arkansas | 75-67 | Auburn | atlanta |
| 2001 | Kentucky | 77-55 | Ole Miss | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2002 | Mississippi State | 61-58 | Alabama | atlanta |
| 2003 | Kentucky | 64-57 | Mississippi State | New Orleans |
| 2004 | Kentucky | 89-73 | Florida | atlanta |
| 2005 | Florida | 70-53 | Kentucky | atlanta |
| 2006 | Florida | 49-47 | South Carolina | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2007 | Florida | 77-56 | Arkansas | atlanta |
| 2008 | Georgia | 66-57 | Arkansas | atlanta |
| 2009 | Mississippi State | 64-61 | Tennessee | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2010 | Kentucky | 75-74 (OT) | Mississippi State | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2011 | Kentucky | 70-54 | Florida | atlanta |
| 2012 | Vanderbilt | 71-64 | Kentucky | New Orleans |
| 2013 | Ole Miss | 66-63 | Florida | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2014 | Florida | 61-60 | Kentucky | atlanta |
| 2015 | Kentucky | 78-63 | Arkansas | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2016 | Kentucky | 82-77 (OT) | Texas A&M | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2017 | Kentucky | 82-65 | Arkansas | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2018 | Kentucky | 77-72 | Tennessee | St.Louis |
| 2019 | Auburn | 84-64 | Tennessee | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2021 | Alabama | 80-79 | L.S.U. | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2022 | Tennessee | 65-50 | Texas A&M | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2023 | Alabama | 82-63 | Texas A&M | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2024 | Auburn | 86-67 | Florida | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2025 | Florida | 86-77 | Tennessee | Nashville, Tenn. |
