SEC projected to make $34 million from NCAA Tournament, most of any conference

The SEC just means more now in basketball, at least when it comes to money.

Even though none of the eight SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament (tied with the Big Ten for the most) advanced past the Sweet 16, the conference is projected to make more from the event than any other league. According to Sportico, the NCAA distributes money directly to conferences based on the number of tournament games each team plays prior to the final. The SEC’s teams played 17 games, and each game this year is worth roughly $2 million, amounting to a $34 million payout, paid in annual installments through 2029. That tops the Big 12 ($32 million) and Big East ($30 million). This is the first time in 20 years the SEC has led all conferences in tournament earnings.

Here’s how each of the eight SEC teams that made the NCAA Tournament fared this year:

• Alabama Crimson Tide (1-seed) – Sweet 16 loss to 5-seed San Diego State
• Tennessee Volunteers (4-seed) – Sweet 16 loss to 9-seed FAU
• Kentucky Wildcats (6-seed) – Second-Round loss to 3-seed Kansas State
• Missouri Tigers (7-seed) – Second-Round loss to 15-seed Princeton
• Texas A&M (7-seed) – First-Round loss to 10-seed Penn State
• Arkansas Razorbacks (8-seed) – Sweet 16 loss to 4-seed UConn
• Auburn Tigers (9-seed) – Second-Round loss to 1-seed Houston
• Mississippi State Bulldogs (11-seed) – First Four loss to 11-seed Pitt

Next year, let’s make the most money AND get a team in the Final Four, okay?