The 2026 SEC basketball tournament starts Wednesday, March 11 and goes through the title game on Sunday, March 15. The 16-team bracket will be played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. Check out the bracket, schedule, game times and seeds below.
Florida is the defending champion, knocking off Tennessee in the 2025 championship game. The Gators then went on to win the NCAA tournament title.
2026 SEC tournament bracket
Click or tap here for another look at the bracket
2026 SEC tournament schedule, scores
All times 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 p.m. 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 p.m. on ESPN
2026 SEC tournament seeds
Florida
Alabama
Arkansas
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Texas A&M
Georgia
Missouri
Kentucky
Texas
Oklahoma
Auburn
Mississippi State
South Carolina
Ole Miss
LSU
SEC basketball tournament history, champions
Kentucky has won the most SEC tournament titles with 32. Florida is the defending champion, as the Gators defeated Tennessee in the 2025 title game 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
LSU
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
LSU
Louisville, Ky.
1979
Tennessee
75-69 (OT)
Kentucky
Birmingham, Ala.
1980
LSU
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
LSU
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
LSU
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
LSU
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.
