Florida Gators Earn Top Seed in 2026 SEC Tournament

The regular season champions will begin their quest for the conference title on Friday, March 13.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The 2025-26 SEC men's basketball regular season has concluded, setting the stage for the conference tournament in Nashville, Tennessee. The Florida Gators, who won the regular-season title with a 16-2 record, have earned the top seed and will receive byes for the opening two rounds. The Gators' first game will be on Friday, March 13 against the winner of the matchup between the 8th-seeded Missouri Tigers and the winner of the 9th-seeded Kentucky Wildcats vs. 16th-seeded LSU Tigers game.

Why it matters

The SEC Tournament is a crucial event for teams looking to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As the regular-season champions, the Florida Gators have positioned themselves well to make a deep run and potentially earn the conference's automatic bid, which would be their second straight SEC Tournament title.

The details

The SEC Tournament will take place from March 11-15 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The Gators, as the top seed, will not play until the quarterfinal round on Friday, March 13 at 1 p.m. ET. Their opponent will be the winner of the second-round matchup between 8th-seeded Missouri and the winner of the 9th-seeded Kentucky vs. 16th-seeded LSU game. If the Gators advance, they would play in the semifinal round on Saturday, March 14 at 1 p.m. ET against the winner of the 4th-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores and the winner of the 5th-seeded Tennessee Volunteers vs. 12th-seeded Auburn Tigers game. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, March 15 at 1 p.m. ET.

  • The SEC Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 11.
  • The Gators' first game is on Friday, March 13 at 1 p.m. ET.
  • The semifinal round is on Saturday, March 14 at 1 p.m. ET.
  • The championship game is on Sunday, March 15 at 1 p.m. ET.

The players

Florida Gators

The regular-season champions of the SEC, earning the top seed in the conference tournament.

Todd Golden

The head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team.

Missouri Tigers

The 8th-seeded team in the SEC Tournament, who will face the winner of the 9th-seeded Kentucky Wildcats vs. 16th-seeded LSU Tigers game in the second round.

Kentucky Wildcats

The 9th-seeded team in the SEC Tournament, who will face the 16th-seeded LSU Tigers in the first round.

Vanderbilt Commodores

The 4th-seeded team in the SEC Tournament, who will face the winner of the 5th-seeded Tennessee Volunteers vs. 12th-seeded Auburn Tigers game in the quarterfinals.

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What they’re saying

“We must be ready to play our best basketball of the season if we want to repeat as SEC Tournament champions.”

— Todd Golden, Head Coach, Florida Gators (Gators Wire)

What’s next

The winner of the SEC Tournament will receive an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Gators will be looking to secure their second straight conference title and earn a high seed in the Big Dance.

The takeaway

The Florida Gators have positioned themselves well to make a deep run in the SEC Tournament and potentially earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As the regular-season champions, they have the talent and experience to repeat as conference tournament champions and continue their quest for a national title.