Bruce Pearl on level of SEC: 'The second-best conference in America isn't even close'

The SEC is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious conferences in the country. While it often receives praise for its prowess in football, it’s produced successful programs in all collegiate sports. At the 2025 SEC Media Days, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl discussed his pride in being a part of the SEC.

“We have enjoyed living in the shadows of some of the great football programs that we’ve had over the years, but rather than focusing on that, we’ve embraced that and recognizing that if we can do it in football,” Pearl said. “If we can do it in baseball and golf and women’s sports — we are an everything conference. It just means more.

“The second-best conference in America isn’t even close to the SEC in all sports. Men’s basketball wasn’t there on a consistent basis. So I’m proud of both Auburn and Alabama for representing the state of Alabama and playing quality basketball, and we hope that as we start this season, we can live up to those expectations.”

From a historical perspective, the SEC’s basketball teams haven’t always been as successful as some of its other programs. However, over the past decade, SEC basketball has made significant strides and appears to be the strongest conference in the country heading into the 2024-25 season.

The SEC has nine teams in the preseason AP Top 25, the most of any conference in the NCAA. Auburn and Alabama — the conference’s two programs from the Yellowhammer State — are the two highest-ranked SEC teams, landing at No. 2 and No. 11, respectively.

Both Alabama and Auburn had successful seasons last year. The Crimson Tide reached the Final Four for the first time in program history while the Tigers won the SEC Tournament for the first time since 2019. Bruce Pearl is excited to continue to carry the SEC torch forward in the upcoming season.

“I feel like I just got here, and I’m already the cagey veteran,” Pearl said. “There are also many conversations that I’ll remember having with the commissioner, with Commissioner Sankey, and some of those conversations had something to do with the privilege of being able to coach in the SEC.

“I’m grateful to be a part of this league. I can tell you that it has never been better, the commitment across the board, the quality of the coaches, the passion of our fan bases. I remember being in the league at a time when you could go on the road and there were three or four places in the league where the gym was half empty, and now almost every game is sold out. That’s so good for the league. So I’m very pleased to be a part of it.”