SEC Basketball Dominates Lunardi’s Latest NCAA Tournament Projections
With the countdown to the 2025-26 college basketball season now under 100 days, the early conversation around March Madness is already heating up. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the network’s longtime “Bracketology” expert, has released his latest projection for the NCAA Tournament field of 68 — and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is making a loud statement.
According to Lunardi’s forecast, the SEC is set to dominate the tournament bracket, with a staggering 14 teams earning bids. That total matches the all-time record for the most bids from a single conference, a mark the SEC itself set just last season. If this projection holds true, the league’s depth, balance, and overall strength will once again be on full display when the Madness begins in March.
Among the SEC’s projected entrants, the headliners are impossible to ignore. Florida leads the way as a projected No. 1 seed, a sign that the Gators are primed for a potential championship run. Tennessee isn’t far behind, slotted as a No. 3 seed, showing that the Volunteers are expected to maintain their place among the nation’s elite programs.
Close on their heels are a pair of teams sharing the No. 4 seed line — Arkansas and Auburn — two programs that have consistently been in the national conversation in recent years. Alabama, another powerhouse, checks in as a No. 5 seed, signaling that the Crimson Tide remain firmly in the mix to make noise deep into the tournament.
The remarkable part of Lunardi’s projection is just how evenly spread the SEC teams are across nearly every seed line. This depth means that regardless of the matchup, the conference will have a representative capable of causing problems for opponents. For fans of the league, it’s not just about one or two contenders — it’s about the collective strength of the conference from top to bottom.
While the SEC’s 14 projected bids stand out, the only other conference even close is the Big Ten, which Lunardi predicts will place 11 teams into the tournament. The gap speaks volumes about the SEC’s rise in recent seasons, both in recruiting and in translating that talent into postseason success.
Kentucky, of course, is firmly in the mix as well, and Lunardi’s outlook suggests that the Wildcats could be poised for another deep March run. Under head coach Mark Pope, Kentucky has been retooling and reloading in preparation for the upcoming season. With the talent on hand and the experience returning, the Wildcats will likely have every opportunity to make their mark — not just in the SEC race, but on the national stage.
The implications of this projection go beyond bragging rights. A conference sending nearly its entire membership to the NCAA Tournament means SEC teams will face the challenge of playing one another multiple times throughout the year, sharpening their skills and preparing them for the pressures of March. The grind of the regular season becomes a proving ground, and as recent history shows, those battle-tested teams often fare well when the stakes are highest.
If Lunardi’s crystal ball proves accurate, fans should prepare for an NCAA Tournament heavily tinted in SEC colors. From bluebloods like Kentucky to surging programs like Arkansas, Florida, and Auburn, the road to the Final Four could run through the SEC — quite literally.
The 2025-26 season promises high-intensity games, fierce rivalries, and plenty of storylines. With less than three months to go before the first tip-off, the anticipation is building. And if this early projection is any indication, the SEC is not just competing — it’s dominating.
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