The SEC's 16 members since Texas and Oklahoma
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has 16 member schools for the 2025–26 season, all of which play SEC football. It was founded in 1932 by 13 members of the Southern Conference, is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, and grew to 16 when Oklahoma and Texas joined in 2024. With that expansion the league dropped its East and West divisions.
- Charter members (1932): Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
- 1991: Arkansas and South Carolina.
- 2012: Missouri and Texas A&M.
- 2024: Oklahoma and Texas.
Three charter members have left: Sewanee after the 1940 season, Georgia Tech in 1964 (it later joined the ACC) and Tulane in 1966.
SEC football: the biggest stadiums in the sport
SEC football is built on scale. Five SEC stadiums hold more than 100,000: Kyle Field at Texas A&M (102,733), Tiger Stadium at LSU (102,321), Neyland Stadium at Tennessee (101,915), DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium (100,119) and Bryant–Denny Stadium at Alabama (100,077). In 2022, the seven programs with the highest average home attendance in the country were all SEC members, not counting future member Texas.
GoodSeats covers the league program by program: Alabama Crimson Tide Football, Arkansas Razorbacks Football, Auburn Tigers Football, Florida Gators Football, Georgia Bulldogs Football, Kentucky Wildcats Football, LSU Tigers Football, Mississippi State Bulldogs Football, Missouri Tigers football, Oklahoma Sooners football, South Carolina Gamecocks football, Tennessee Volunteers football, Texas A&M Aggies football, Texas Longhorns football and Vanderbilt Commodores football. The Neyland Stadium page goes deeper on Knoxville's seating.
- Big stadiums, big supply: 100,000 seats means more inventory for nonconference games, but rivalry and ranked games still sell out.
- Small stadiums, scarce seats: Vanderbilt's stadium holds about 35,000 after renovation, so marquee visitors can sell it out quickly.
- Night games: LSU's night kickoffs at Tiger Stadium are the most requested atmosphere in the league.
The SEC Championship Game and the bowl season
In 1992 the SEC became the first Division I conference to stage a football championship game. Every edition since 1994 has been played in Atlanta, first at the Georgia Dome and since 2017 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, under a contract that runs through 2027. Without divisions, the game now matches the top two teams in the conference standings in early December.
- Tickets: participating schools typically receive allocations for their donors; because the matchup is set only at the end of the regular season, resale prices tend to move sharply once the pairing is known.
- Bowls: 2026 tie-ins include the ReliaQuest Bowl (SEC vs. Big Ten), the Citrus Bowl and the Music City Bowl (Big Ten vs. SEC), the Texas Bowl (Big 12 vs. SEC) and the Liberty Bowl (SEC and Big 12). Tie-ins change every few years.
- The playoff: SEC teams also feed the 12-team College Football Playoff, whose quarterfinals and semifinals include the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
SEC basketball, men's and women's
SEC basketball has grown into the league's second major ticket. SEC members have won 12 NCAA men's titles while in the conference: eight by Kentucky, three by Florida and one by Arkansas. In 2025 the league set a record with 14 of its 16 teams in the NCAA tournament, and Florida beat Houston 65–63 in San Antonio for its third title.
- Rupp Arena (Kentucky, Lexington): opened in 1976 and seats about 20,500 after a 2019 renovation.
- Moody Center (Texas, Austin): opened in 2022, seating 10,763 for Texas Longhorns basketball.
- Women's basketball: Tennessee has eight national titles and South Carolina three (2017, 2022 and 2024), with LSU and Texas A&M one each. South Carolina reached the 2026 final, losing to UCLA.
The SEC men's tournament is played at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, its regular home, which has hosted 13 times through 2026. All 16 teams qualify, and the top four seeds receive a double bye into the quarterfinals. Kentucky has won the tournament 31 times; Arkansas won in 2026, beating Vanderbilt 86–75. Bridgestone Arena sits in downtown Nashville, so tournament week doubles as a Nashville trip, and the opening sessions are the easiest tickets. The regular-season title is awarded separately from the tournament, whose winner takes the automatic NCAA bid.
Where to sit at SEC stadiums and arenas
- Football sideline, lower level: the best view, and the most expensive. In 100,000-seat stadiums, the upper rows of the lower bowl at midfield often see the field better than the first rows, which are below the players on the sideline.
- Sun and shade: September afternoon kickoffs in Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge, Gainesville or College Station are hot. A seat on the shaded side is worth more than a few yards of position.
- Upper decks: very high and steep in the largest stadiums. Upper-deck seats between the 30-yard lines are the value choice; upper-deck end zones are the least comfortable seats in the building.
- Student and visiting sections: students fill large blocks and stand all game; visiting allocations are usually in an end zone or upper corner.
- Basketball: at Rupp Arena and Bridgestone Arena, lower-level sideline is best and upper-level sideline is the value. Avoid low rows directly behind the baskets.
How SEC tickets are sold, and tips for game day
SEC schools sell season tickets first, with seats assigned by donor priority points (a ranking built from annual gifts and years of loyalty). At the programs with the most demand, the best seats carry a required annual donation, and the season-ticket base absorbs most seats for top games. Resale is how most fans without that history get into a rivalry game, a night game at Tiger Stadium or the SEC Championship Game. Every order on GoodSeats is backed by a 100% guarantee.
- Book lodging early: college towns like Athens, Tuscaloosa and Oxford fill hotel rooms early for big home games.
- Check the bag policy: as of the 2025 season, SEC stadiums enforce clear-bag rules (bags must be transparent and small); check the venue's current policy before you go.
- Plan for tailgating: campus tailgating begins hours before kickoff, and some lots are reserved for donors.
For schedules and championship details, see the SEC's official site.
Frequently asked questions
How many schools are in the SEC?
Sixteen for the 2025–26 season. Oklahoma and Texas joined in 2024, bringing the league to 16 and ending its East and West divisions.
Where is the SEC Championship Game played?
At Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, in early December. Every edition since 1994 has been in Atlanta, and the current contract runs through 2027.
Where is the SEC basketball tournament held?
Bridgestone Arena in Nashville is the regular home of the SEC men's tournament, and all 16 teams qualify.
Which SEC stadiums seat more than 100,000?
Kyle Field, Tiger Stadium, Neyland Stadium, DKR–Texas Memorial Stadium and Bryant–Denny Stadium.
What is the best way to get SEC football tickets for a big game?
Season tickets go to donors first, so resale is the usual route for rivalry and ranked games. Buy early when both fan bases travel well, and consider upper-deck sideline seats for value.
Sources
- Wikipedia – Southeastern Conference
- Wikipedia – SEC men's basketball tournament
- Wikipedia – 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
- Wikipedia – NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
- Wikipedia – 2026 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
- Wikipedia – Kyle Field
- Wikipedia – Tiger Stadium (LSU)
- Wikipedia – Neyland Stadium
- Wikipedia – Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
- Wikipedia – Bryant–Denny Stadium
- Wikipedia – Rupp Arena
- Wikipedia – 2026–27 NCAA football bowl games