“SEC Chaos: South Carolina Wins No. 1 Seed After Greg Sankey’s Bizarre Coin Flip Spectacle!”
The SEC Tournament’s top seed came down to one of the most absurd, dramatic, and oddly entertaining moments in college basketball history—a literal coin flip.
With SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey standing by in Birmingham, flipping a custom-made coin live on air during halftime of the LSU-Ole Miss game, the fate of the conference’s No. 1 seed was decided.
Move over, 1973 Rose Bowl Vote—welcome to the 2025 SEC Coin Flip.
The Perfect Storm for a Coin Toss
It took a perfect scenario to reach this moment. South Carolina and Texas played each other once in the regular season, splitting the series and beating every other opponent along the way.
That meant the first two tiebreakers—head-to-head results and record against the next highest seed—were useless. Instead of relying on NET rankings, combined score, or even AP poll standings, the SEC turned to its final, most controversial rule:
“Coin flip by the Commissioner.”
The result mattered—a lot. South Carolina and Texas are vying for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and now South Carolina holds the edge. Both teams share the SEC regular-season title, but the top tournament seed comes with key advantages.
“We’re on like a 16-, 18-hour turnaround,” said Texas coach Vic Schaefer, recalling his last SEC semifinal in 2020 while coaching Mississippi State.
“Who planned this deal? It’s concerning for me. I told my kids we probably aren’t going to take our shootaround tomorrow because it’s at 7:30. We won’t get to the hotel and be close to being in bed by 11:30 by the time you lose your hour. My kids know I hate that. We never pass up a shootaround.”
His Bulldogs lost to South Carolina 76-62 the next day. And it wasn’t close.
Now, the Gamecocks benefit from extra rest, while Texas faces a tougher path to the title.
The SEC’s Custom Coin—and Unanswered Questions
This wasn’t just any coin flip. The SEC actually designed and minted a custom coin for the occasion—because, of course, the SEC is loaded. That raised some hilarious questions:
How much did the custom coin cost?
Was it weighted fairly? That Gamecock logo looked a little heavier than the Longhorn logo…
Who minted it? A licensed moneyer? The U.S. Treasury?
Does South Carolina get to keep the coin?
And if you think a coin flip is foolproof, just ask Jerome Bettis—bad flips happen.
The SEC Missed a TV Goldmine
The SEC didn’t turn this into a made-for-TV event, but it should have. Imagine:
“The SEC Coin Flip Special, presented by The Franklin Mint!”
They could have sold sponsorships, monetized the drama, and even put the proceeds toward revenue sharing. Missed opportunity? Absolutely.
But in the end, South Carolina won the flip.
And while nobody will care about this by next week, the legend of the 2025 SEC Coin Flip will live on.
