What to make of the SEC Tournament considering the Longhorns' current standing

The Texas Longhorns finished the 2025 season as Southeastern Conference regular season champions and have earned the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. First round games are happening today, as Alabama defeated Missouri and Oklahoma just wrapped up a victory over Kentucky.

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Arguments about the value of conference tournaments for teams safely in the field persist around the water cooler, on discussion boards, and maybe even in coaches offices. For teams like Texas A&M who are not guaranteed an at-large bid, these next few games present what’s possibly the Aggies’ only available opportunity at a spot in the NCAA Tournament. For Texas, a run in the tournament or an early exit in the single elimination affair may have little effect on national seeding.

Jim Schlossnagle has won his fair share of conference tournaments. At UNLV and at TCU, his teams regularly hoisted trophies at the end of the last slate of games before Selection Monday. At Texas A&M, only one of his teams made a run to the SEC tournament finals, and it was a 2023 team that was safely in the tournament.

With the Longhorns almost a certain top-three seed in the NCAA Tournament, Schlossnagle has decisions to make about how he approaches the weekend. Of course, he cannot diminish these games for his team. If a game is on the schedule, it is not meaningless. And to tap the brakes ahead of a postseason where Texas enters as a favorite to make Omaha is unlikely to produce positive results for his team.

Plus, because of the double-bye the Longhorns have, they can treat this weekend close to how they would for a normal three-game series from a staff perspective. There’s no need to overtax arms and go all out, but guys can get some work in on a regular schedule.

But there’s also the desire to win more than the SEC regular season title; to win more than the SEC tournament title. Omaha is the goal, and success at Charles Schwab Field Omaha is the goal after that. To jeopardize a team’s chances at the national championship would be a mistake.

It’s a hard balance.

Last year, with a top national seed locked up, the Aggies did little to tax their pitching staff under Schlossnagle. That resulted in a two-n-‘cue in Hoover, but it likely saved the A&M staff from too much strain. A&M slugged their way through the regionals and super regionals, with their closest game being an extra-inning regional semifinal game versus the Longhorns.

Could Schlossnagle do something similar this year? If he does and similar results follow, it would extend the longest conference tournament title drought in the storied history of Longhorn baseball.

Texas has not won a conference tournament since 2015, when the Longhorns won the Big 12 Tournament title to clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns were likely on the outside looking in had they not gone on a run in Tulsa, and the tournament title gave Augie Garrido his final postseason opportunity as head coach of the Longhorns.

The situation is different in 2025. Schlossnagle’s decisions will be revealed soon enough.

All that in mind, does playing for the conference tournament have a negative effect on teams vying for postseason glory? Here’s a look at how the finalists in every SEC Tournament since 2015 has fared in the postseason.

2024 – Tennessee defeats Texas A&M

Tennessee had a historic season, winning the SEC regular season title, the SEC tournament title, and the College World Series. Texas A&M went two-n-‘cue in Hoover, losing in the second round to Mississippi State and in an elimination game to Tennessee. They fell to Tennessee again later in Omaha, and Schlossnagle eventually changed jobs.

2023 – LSU defeats Florida

LSU bowed out in the third round of the SEC tournament in 2023, winning the first game they played before losing two 5-4 games to Arkansas and Texas A&M, respectively. Florida, who won a share of the SEC regular season title, reached the SEC tournament semifinals.

2022 – Ole Miss defeats Oklahoma

Ole Miss entered the SEC Tournament desperately needing wins they didn’t get. Ole Miss was eliminated in the first round, and relied on the selection committee to put them in the field of 64. The Rebels got the call, then made a run all the way to the national championship. Oklahoma rode a perfect weekend to the Big 12 Tournament title in 2022 on their way to the national finals.

2021 – Mississippi State defeats Vanderbilt

Mississippi State went two-and-out at the SEC Tournament but earned the No. 7 overall seed. The Diamond Dogs won the Starkville regional and super regional then ran all the way to Omaha to win the College World Series. Vanderbilt finished second in the SEC East and reached the third round of the tournament.

2019 – Vanderbilt defeats Michigan

Vanderbilt posted a dominant year, winning the regular season and tournament titles before defeating the Wolverines in Omaha. Michigan reached the semifinals of the Big 10 tournament before falling to Nebraska.

2018 – Oregon State defeats Arkansas

The Pac-12 did not put on a tournament until 2022, so Oregon State did not have to worry about winning a conference tournament title. Arkansas reached the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.

2017 – Florida defeats LSU

Florida and LSU tied for the SEC regular season title with each team winning their respective division. LSU took home the conference tournament title while Florida fell in the semifinals, losing 16-0 to Arkansas. Florida would get revenge in the national finals.

2016 – Coastal Carolina defeats Arizona

The Chanticleers’ historic run may not have needed a Big South tournament title as Coastal Carolina was ranked throughout most of the last few weeks of the season. But it is what locked up their spot in the NCAA Tournament and started their journey to the mountaintop of college baseball. Arizona did not play in a conference tournament.

So since the Longhorns won their last conference tournament title, three of the eight national champions have also won their conference tournament. Two additional squads, 2022 Oklahoma and 2017 LSU, won their conference tournament before finishing as national runner up.

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Schlossnagle’s decisions this week will determine which company Texas joins.