SEC Sets NCAA Tournament Record with 7 Sweet 16 Teams amid Kentucky, Alabama Wins

After the SEC set a men's NCAA tournament record with 14 teams in the bracket, it followed up with another record as seven teams from the conference advanced to the Sweet 16 after both Kentucky and Alabama grabbed wins to round out the night.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, this is the most teams from a single conference to reach this round since its introduction in 1975. The previous record was set by the ACC in 2016 with six teams.

In addition, after Colorado State's 72-71 loss to Maryland, this will be the first tournament since 2007 in which no teams seeded 11th or lower will be in the Sweet 16, per The Athletic's Chris Vannini.

Ole Miss' 91-78 victory over Iowa State pushed the SEC past the finish line, as the team joined Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida in the Sweet 16, with teams ranging from No. 1 to No. 10 seeds.

Alabama grabbed a dominant 80-66 win over No. 7 Saint Mary's, while Kentucky secured an 84-75 victory over No. 6 Illinois on Sunday evening. Florida defeated UConn 77-75 in the first game of the morning on Sunday.

On Saturday, Auburn grabbed an 82-70 win over Creighton, No. 10 Arkansas beat No. 2 St. John's 75-66 and Tennessee took down UCLA.

With Kentucky and Tennessee facing off on Friday, not all SEC teams will have the chance to advance. However, the conference could still have as many as six teams in the Elite Eight, potentially even an all-SEC Final Four.

The 2025 Sweet 16 will also feature the first time that only major conference teams will be present (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC), as every other Sweet 16 has had at least seven teams from mid-major conferences, per OptaSTATS.

SEC losses include No. 6 Missouri falling to No. 11 Drake on Thursday, while No. 4 Texas lost to No. 5 Michigan. In other close matchups, Mississippi State, Georgia, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt all suffered defeats.

Sweet 16 play will begin on Friday.