Paul Finebaum Sounds the Alarm: SEC Must Deliver a National Championship in 2025
As one of the most competitive seasons in Southeastern Conference (SEC) basketball history winds down, Paul Finebaum believes the league now faces one critical challenge: turning its dominance into a national title.
Speaking on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Monday, Finebaum previewed the highly anticipated SEC Tournament, calling it the biggest conference showdown in years. However, he also warned that with soaring expectations comes the risk of a major letdown in the NCAA Tournament.
“There is going to be unbelievable expectations and, with unbelievable expectations, often we can be led to a possible letdown,” Finebaum said.
SEC’s Record-Breaking Tournament Representation
The SEC has consistently been a powerhouse in March Madness, tying its all-time record for tournament berths in 2024, 2023, and 2018 with eight teams in the field. This year, the conference is poised to shatter that mark, potentially reaching double-digit bids, a feat that could rival the Big East’s record 11 teams from 2011.
“Oh, I think anywhere above ten or eleven would be considered a tremendous success considering we’re in record territory right there,” Finebaum noted. “There was a time when seven or eight was considered unbelievable. I remember about a decade ago when the SEC only had three, and that sent everyone into meltdown mode in downtown Birmingham. But that’s not happening now.”
The upcoming SEC Tournament in Nashville will play a crucial role in determining which teams punch their tickets. Finebaum acknowledged that the brutal competition could propel some teams forward while simultaneously crushing the hopes of others.
“Every weekend, you get another contender with Arkansas pulling off a win and somebody else. There’s so many teams on that bubble. Unfortunately, the schedule is going to cannibalize some, and the SEC Tournament probably could help one or two of those, but it also can kill them off. The competition is going to be relentless in Nashville,” he warned.
SEC’s Postseason Struggles Must End
Despite the conference’s growing prominence, postseason results have fallen short. In 2024, five of the SEC’s eight tournament teams were eliminated in the first round, and only Tennessee (Elite Eight) and Alabama (Final Four) made deep runs. In fact, Alabama remains the only SEC team to reach the Final Four since 2020.
That’s why 2025 carries such weight. If the SEC sends a record number of teams to the tournament but fails to secure a national championship, Finebaum sees it as a major disappointment.
“I almost feel like that, if the SEC does not win the national championship this year in college basketball, it is going to be considered a disappointment,” Finebaum stated. “Nowhere other than perhaps 2015 could you ever make that statement, when Kentucky was undefeated and trying to go wire-to-wire. But that’s how great this league is.”
Championship or Bust?
With so many teams expected to be in the mix well into March, the SEC’s postseason success will be judged by whether one of them can finally cut down the nets in San Antonio.
“I don’t want to say it’s national championship or bust, but it is about time that the SEC won a national championship in college basketball considering it hasn’t happened in twelve years,” Finebaum concluded.
The stage is set, and the pressure is on. With the most loaded SEC field in history, all eyes will be on whether this is the year the conference finally delivers a championship to back up its dominance.
