Tim Corbin admits he doesn't like that all 16 teams will make SEC Tournament next season

With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC ahead of the 2024-25 academic year, the league is altering the format of its baseball tournament. After years of a 12-team format that excluded the bottom two teams, the league will grant all 16 teams in the new-look league a spot in the tournament.

And Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin doesn’t love the change. He explained why after Vanderbilt picked up a win in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday.

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“I personally don’t like it,” Corbin said. “I think the regular season means a lot and I think playing into the tournament is important. Now, if I was one of the two teams that was left out, I would be upset, of course, but we don’t deserve to be in it. We just didn’t play good enough baseball. So it’s what we did and it’s what the ADs voted on.”

Corbin continued, explaining that he isn’t sure fan buy-in to attend the tournament will be the same if the SEC moves to a single elimination format.

“But I’ve liked the format of what we have right here,” Corbin said. “I think it makes for a very good tournament. I think it makes, also, for fans that want to come, at least they know they’re going to stay for a few days. If it’s kind of single elimination, then I don’t know, personally, if I’m packing up my family right away. I don’t know. We’ll see. I hope it works out, because it’s really good baseball and you add Oklahoma and Texas to the fray, my God, it’s a good conference. So, tough baseball.” 

Corbin explained how his squad has brushed off pressure

Vanderbilt won its first two games of the SEC Tournament. With that, it appears as if the Commodores are secure with their spot in the NCAA Tournament. That success is something that Corbin says comes down to the team’s mindset.

“Well, it’s all about the guys,” Corbin said. “It’s all about how they should feel about themselves. Confidence for any human being is all about what you think of yourself and what your perception is, and I think that they know winning two games — certainly beating Kentucky at the end was a big deal for us — we needed that 13th win, but I think now it’s almost like let’s go play and have fun.”

Vanderbilt was one of five SEC teams to enter the SEC Tournament with a record of 13-17 in conference play this season. For all of those teams, a deep run at Hoover could help secure their place in the NCAA Tournament, which does create a sense of pressure.

That pressure is something that Corbin’s Commodores handled well, beating Florida and Tennessee in their first two games.

“That’s really how we came into the tournament,” Corbin said. “It wasn’t a must thing for us. I don’t want our teams thinking like that. You’re going to collapse quick. We don’t need to be playing with pressure. We need to be playing with fun and excitement and aggressiveness, and we’re playing aggressive.”