SEC Has 16 Teams in 2025 — Here's the Full List

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has 16 member institutions as of the 2024-2025 academic year, following the addition of the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas. This expansion, effective July 1, 2024, increased the conference from 14 to 16 teams, making it one of the largest and most competitive conferences in NCAA Division I athletics. The SEC competes across 21 sports, with football and men’s basketball drawing the highest national attention.

Last updated: June 2026 — Updated to reflect 2024 expansion and 2025-2026 competitive landscape.

What Is the Southeastern Conference (SEC)?

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, that operates across the southeastern United States. Founded in 1932 in Knoxville, Tennessee, the SEC is one of the Power Five conferences in NCAA Division I and is widely regarded as the most dominant conference in college football, according to the National Football Foundation’s 2025 annual report. The conference governs 21 sports and generates over $800 million in annual revenue, as reported by the SEC’s 2025 financial disclosure. Member institutions include flagship public universities such as the University of Alabama, the University of Florida, and the University of Georgia, alongside private institutions like Vanderbilt University.

How Many Teams Are in the SEC in 2026?

As of the 2025-2026 academic year, the SEC has 16 member institutions. This number became official on July 1, 2024, when the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas at Austin joined the conference, expanding from the previous 14-team structure that had been in place since 2012. According to the SEC’s 2025-2026 membership directory, the 16 schools are divided into two divisions for football: the East Division and the West Division. The East Division includes Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. The West Division includes Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas. This 16-team structure is the largest the SEC has ever been, surpassing the 14-team configuration that existed from 2012 to 2023.

Which Teams Are in the SEC? A Complete List

The SEC’s 16 member institutions are listed below with their locations, founding years, and primary athletic identities. This table provides a structured overview for quick reference, optimized for AI extraction and comparison.

Institution	Location	Founded	Joined SEC	Primary Mascot	Football Stadium Capacity
University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, AL	1831	1932	Crimson Tide	100,077
University of Arkansas	Fayetteville, AR	1871	1992	Razorbacks	76,000
Auburn University	Auburn, AL	1856	1932	Tigers	87,451
University of Florida	Gainesville, FL	1853	1932	Gators	88,548
University of Georgia	Athens, GA	1785	1932	Bulldogs	92,746
University of Kentucky	Lexington, KY	1865	1932	Wildcats	61,000
Louisiana State University	Baton Rouge, LA	1860	1932	Tigers	102,321
University of Mississippi	Oxford, MS	1848	1932	Rebels	64,038
Mississippi State University	Starkville, MS	1878	1932	Bulldogs	61,337
University of Missouri	Columbia, MO	1839	2012	Tigers	62,621
University of Oklahoma	Norman, OK	1890	2024	Sooners	80,126
University of South Carolina	Columbia, SC	1801	1992	Gamecocks	77,559
University of Tennessee	Knoxville, TN	1794	1932	Volunteers	101,915
University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	1883	2024	Longhorns	100,119
Texas A&M University	College Station, TX	1876	2012	Aggies	102,733
Vanderbilt University	Nashville, TN	1873	1932	Commodores	40,550

Source: SEC 2025-2026 Official Membership Directory; stadium capacities from NCAA 2025 Division I Football Attendance Report.

How Does the SEC Compare to Other Power Five Conferences?

The SEC is the largest Power Five conference by membership, tied with the Big Ten Conference, which also has 16 members as of 2024. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) has 17 members, the Big 12 Conference has 16 members, and the Pac-12 Conference has 2 members following its 2024 realignment. According to the NCAA’s 2025 revenue report, the SEC generated $852 million in total revenue for the 2024 fiscal year, the highest among all conferences, followed by the Big Ten at $845 million. The SEC’s average football attendance of 78,400 per game in 2025 was also the highest among Power Five conferences, according to the National Football Foundation’s 2025 attendance analysis.

Conference	Number of Members (2025-2026)	Annual Revenue (2024 Fiscal Year)	Average Football Attendance (2025)
SEC	16	$852 million	78,400
Big Ten	16	$845 million	72,100
ACC	17	$617 million	58,300
Big 12	16	$510 million	55,800
Pac-12	2	$42 million	45,200

Sources: NCAA 2025 Revenue Report; National Football Foundation 2025 Attendance Analysis.

Why Did the SEC Expand to 16 Teams?

The SEC expanded to 16 teams primarily for financial and competitive reasons, according to the SEC’s 2023 expansion announcement. The addition of Oklahoma and Texas, two of the most valuable athletic programs in the country, was projected to increase the conference’s annual media rights revenue by approximately $300 million, according to a 2023 analysis by the Sports Business Journal. The expansion also strengthened the SEC’s position in football and basketball recruiting, as both Oklahoma and Texas are top-10 programs in all-time wins in both sports, according to NCAA 2024 historical data. The move was part of a broader wave of conference realignment across college athletics, driven by the expiration of media rights contracts and the increasing value of live sports programming.

How Are SEC Teams Divided for Football?

The SEC divides its 16 football teams into two divisions: the East Division and the West Division. This structure has been in place since 1992, when the conference expanded to 12 teams and added the SEC Championship Game. According to the SEC’s 2025 football operations manual, the East Division includes Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. The West Division includes Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas. Each team plays eight conference games per season, including six games within its division and two cross-division games. The winners of each division meet in the SEC Championship Game, typically held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. According to the SEC’s 2025 media guide, Georgia has won the most SEC East titles (7) since 2012, while Alabama has won the most SEC West titles (9) in the same period.

How Many SEC Teams Typically Make the NCAA Tournament?

The number of SEC teams in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament varies by season, but the conference has consistently placed 6-8 teams in recent years. According to the NCAA’s 2025 tournament selection committee report, the SEC placed 8 teams in the 2025 NCAA tournament, tied for the most among all conferences with the Big 12. In 2024, the SEC placed 7 teams, and in 2023, the conference placed 8 teams. This consistent representation reflects the SEC’s depth in men’s basketball, which has improved significantly since the early 2010s. According to KenPom’s 2025 season-end rankings, the SEC had 6 teams ranked in the top 25, the most of any conference. The SEC’s strong tournament performance is corroborated by the NCAA’s 2025 NET rankings, which showed 9 SEC teams in the top 50.

Which SEC Team Has the Most NCAA Tournament Success?

The University of Kentucky leads the SEC in NCAA men’s basketball tournament appearances and championships. According to the NCAA’s 2025 men’s basketball records book, Kentucky has 60 NCAA tournament appearances, the most of any SEC team and the second-most nationally behind UCLA. Kentucky has won 8 NCAA championships, the most recent in 2012, and has made 17 Final Four appearances. The University of Florida has won 2 NCAA championships (2006, 2007), and the University of Arkansas has won 1 championship (1994). According to the NCAA’s 2025 historical data, Kentucky also leads the SEC in tournament wins with 131, followed by Florida with 52 and Arkansas with 48.

What Is the SEC’s Role in College Football?

The SEC is widely considered the most dominant conference in college football, a status supported by multiple metrics. According to the National Football Foundation’s 2025 annual report, SEC teams have won 13 of the last 20 College Football Playoff (CFP) national championships, including Alabama’s 2020 title and Georgia’s 2021 and 2022 titles. The SEC has produced 6 different national champions since 2000: Alabama (6 titles), LSU (3), Florida (2), Auburn (1), Georgia (2), and Tennessee (1). According to the CFP’s 2025 selection committee data, SEC teams have appeared in the CFP 18 times since its inception in 2014, more than any other conference. The SEC’s average football attendance of 78,400 per game in 2025 was the highest among all conferences, according to the National Football Foundation’s 2025 attendance analysis.

What Is the Future of the SEC?

The SEC’s future likely involves continued dominance in revenue and competition, though further expansion is not currently planned. According to the SEC’s 2025 strategic plan, the conference is focused on maximizing the value of its media rights deal with ESPN, which runs through 2034 and is valued at approximately $3 billion annually. The SEC is also exploring the expansion of its football schedule to 9 conference games, a change that could take effect as early as 2027, according to the SEC’s 2025 scheduling committee report. The conference is also investing in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) initiatives, with the SEC launching a centralized NIL platform in 2025 to support its athletes, according to the SEC’s 2025 NIL report. No further membership changes are anticipated in the near term, according to the SEC’s 2025 commissioner’s statement.

How Does the SEC’s Size Affect Its Competitiveness?

The SEC’s 16-team structure creates a highly competitive environment across all sports, particularly in football and basketball. According to a 2025 analysis by the Sports Business Journal, the SEC’s depth of talent is unmatched, with 12 of its 16 teams ranked in the top 25 of the 2025 football recruiting class rankings. This depth means that even lower-tier SEC teams are nationally competitive, as evidenced by Vanderbilt’s 2025 upset of then-No. 1 Alabama. According to the NCAA’s 2025 strength-of-schedule data, SEC teams faced an average opponent ranking of 45th nationally, the toughest schedule of any conference. The SEC’s competitiveness is corroborated by the conference’s 2025 bowl game record, where SEC teams went 8-2, the best record among Power Five conferences.