ESPN's Joe Lunardi explains how SEC Tournament title game could impact 2024 NCAA Tournament seeding

Selection Sunday has arrived and with five conference championship games still to be decided, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi believes the SEC Tournament final could play a factor in multiple ways across the bracket.

Auburn will take on Florida to decide the SEC’s automatic bid, but both squads are playing for a higher seed with a conference title win on Sunday afternoon.

“If Auburn wins today, they become the last 3-seed and bump Duke down to a 4,” Lunardi told Rece Davis ahead of the SEC Championship game on ESPN. “But we’re in the weeds when we get to that point. Same with Florida. I have them as a 5, South Carolina as a 6. Do they flip if Florida loses in the SEC championship game? … But these are the fun stages of selections and we usually don’t get there until later Sunday afternoon.”

As it stands in his latest projection, Lunardi has Duke as the highest 4-seed (No. 13 overall) while Auburn is the lowest 3-seed (No. 12 overall). Lunardi would flip them with a Florida win, which would keep the Gators at the 5-seed line if they pull out the conference tournament win. It’s remains up to the committee whether they flip the two, as they did not meet during this past week in Nashville.

With none of these teams on the bubble, regardless of what happens each fanbase can rest assured their team’s names will be called when the bracket is revealed on Sunday evening live on CBS.

Lunardi also revealed to the College Basketball Live crew on ESPN that he does not project any more bid-stealers. For the Ivy League, Atlantic 10 and AAC — they’re all three win and you’re in scenarios. The losers won’t have the opportunity to earn an at-large bid. However, if teams like Brown (13-17 overall) or Temple (16-19) win their respective conference tournaments, Lunardi’s next task is to figure out seeding scenarios for those squads.

The only other game to be played, the Big Ten Tournament final between Wisconsin and Illinois will cap the conference tournament slate at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, and the selection show will begin shortly after the champion escrowed. Whether the Fighting Illini can move up from its current 3-seed (No. 10 overall) projection to a 2-seed remains to be seen.

First, the SEC Tournament title will have to be decided. Tip-off between the Gators and Tigers is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN.