SEC introduces Conference Championship in 2025 – The Daily Texan

Texas volleyball will officially open SEC play on Friday against rival Texas A&M.

The SEC, a conference that offers many opportunities for success, is the newest frontier for the Longhorns. One of the newest opportunities in the future for the team will be the return of the SEC Volleyball Championship tournament in 2025.

The SEC hosted the Volleyball Championship tournament from 1979 to 2005.

“With the restart of the SEC Volleyball Tournament, we will now host a championship event in every Conference sport, providing our programs with additional competitive opportunities as they prepare for NCAA postseason competition,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a speech.
SEC’s press release.

As a new member of the conference, Texas never had a shot at an SEC title, but the Longhorns are no strangers to conference championships. Before leaving the Big 12, Texas demonstrated its clear superiority by winning seven consecutive conference championships through 2023 under head coach Jerritt Eliott.

With the restart of the SEC Volleyball Championship, Texas will have more opportunities to find its place in the SEC. The tournament kicks off next season and will take place November 21-25 in Savannah, Georgia.

“We look forward to providing SEC student-athletes, coaches and fans with an unforgettable experience as we welcome Savannah to host the SEC Volleyball Tournament for the next three years,” Sankey said.

Prior to the tournament’s elimination, multiple winners included Florida, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee. Florida currently has the most with 12, followed by Kentucky with five and four for both LSU and Tennessee.

Under the current schedule, Texas will play 16 SEC conference games the rest of this season. This number will increase when this tournament is held next year, which could affect the NCAA tournament towards November and December. Elliott showed some disapproval of the number of games played throughout the season with the addition of the conference championship.

“I think sports need to reduce the number of conference games,” Elliott said. “If we’re having a conference tournament, I don’t think we should play everyone in and out. “I think this will create more opportunities for better midseason games for the game to grow.”

The restart of the tournament is also an opportunity for women’s college volleyball to become more prominent on the national stage. A tournament like this provides an opportunity to focus on volleyball earlier and further progress toward the NCAA tournament.

More details about the tournament will be released as the SEC moves closer to the 2025 volleyball season.