Last week we talked about the Southeastern Conference re-writing the record books with 14 teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Well, a week later and we’re talking about the same thing.
Despite the tournament field being shaved down from 68 teams to just 16 teams in a handful of days, the SEC’s representation is still stronger than ever.
The SEC’s seven teams in the Sweet 16 is a new record, breaking the previous record set by the ACC with six teams in the 2016 tournament. While the conference was just on the verge of having half of the weekend’s participants, one shy of that is still a pretty great mark to reach.
The Southeastern Conference’s seven Sweet 16 teams include:
- (1) Auburn – South
- (1) Florida – West
- (2) Tennessee – Midwest
- (2) Alabama – East
- (3) Kentucky – Midwest
- (6) Ole Miss – South
- (10) Arkansas – West
More from RTI: Where Tennessee Lands in Best National Championship Chances Before the Sweet 16
The ACC’s six teams in 2016 included (1) North Carolina, (1) Virginia, (3) Miami, (4) Duke, (6) Notre Dame, and (10) Syracuse. While the 2025 SEC has the 2016 ACC beat in the number of Sweet 16 teams, the SEC’s seven teams also have a higher average seeding than the ACC’s six teams did.
Here’s a look at who the seven SEC teams will be matched up against in the Sweet 16 this weekend:
Thursday
- Alabama vs BYU – 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Florida vs Maryland – 7:39 p.m. ET (TBS)
- Texas Tech vs Arkansas – 10:09 p.m. ET (TBS)
Friday
- Michigan State vs Ole Miss – 7:09 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Tennessee vs Kentucky – 7:39 p.m. ET (TBS)
- Auburn vs Michigan – 9:39 p.m. ET (CBS)
continuing to set new standards
@SEC teams are headed to the Sweet Sixteen!@MarchMadnessMBB x #ItJustMeansMore pic.twitter.com/3ahTRsNWcL
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 24, 2025
Technically, the SEC could end up with only one representative in the Elite Eight with the winner of Tennessee-Kentucky. On the flip side, though, the SEC could wind up with six of the teams in the Elite Eight if all goes right for the conference (and Tennessee-Kentucky doesn’t end in a disqualification). The likeliest option lies in between those two ends.
Here’s a look at the teams with the highest odds to win the NCAA Tournament this spring after the completion of the first weekend of games:
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for continued coverage of Tennessee Basketball’s postseason run.
