The Road to Glory: SEC Soccer Tournament Preview

November soccer is here, bringing Gulf-Coast vibes and bracket chaos. The 2025 SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament kicks off in Pensacola this Sunday, with twelve teams packing a season’s worth of storylines into one week at Ashton Brosnaham Sports Complex. Single-elimination, top-to-bottom depth and national seeds at stake— make sure to bring snacks.

The format is straightforward: 12 teams, survive and advance. Recent history shows that anything can happen. Last year, Texas entered as a first-year SEC member and took home the 2024 trophy, while Mississippi State dominated the regular season and was a clear favorite. Seeding matters, but momentum matters more.

The SEC kicks off its championship week, running from November 2-9, with all games available on SEC Network.

Who can win it?

The tournament favorites are No. 1-ranked Arkansas, a team that prefers an open style of play and excels at forcing turnovers. No. 2 Vanderbilt is also among the favorites. Both teams rely on tough defense and quick, precise restarts.

No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Tennessee are also in the contender conversation, as they are considered aerial threats that pose a danger on set pieces. Don’t forget about Mississippi, if their press clicks, the Bulldogs could be a headache for opponents.

The Gators enter with the SEC’s most tournament titles all time—twelve—and a tough regular season (6-5-6) against a challenging schedule. Florida and Texas A&M faced the most top-25 league opponents.

Florida performs at its best when focusing on three habits: winning first and second balls to start transitions, protecting the area at the top of the box and creating scoring opportunities from dead balls—Florida’s service and near-post runs have helped them this fall.

If Florida gets past Kentucky in the opening round, the Gators will face Georgia in the quarterfinals. If they clear that hurdle too, a semifinal against either No. 2 Vanderbilt, No. 22 South Carolina, or Alabama will take place on Thursday, November 6.

Florida and Kentucky played to a 1–1 draw in Gainesville earlier this season.

Players to watch:

Starting with the golden boot pace-setter, Vanderbilt’s Sydney Watts has been relentless in the box, leading the SEC with 12 goals. She times back-shoulder runs, finishes one-touch under pressure and can also peel wide to combine before bursting into the box—exactly the profile that punishes teams that lose track of runners on counterattacks.

For service, circle Oklahoma’s Kayla Keefer, who leads the SEC in assists (8) and ranks in the top five nationally. She’s a creative player who delivers early balls from the half and slips through passes when the back lines step to the ball. On restarts, she’s a precise striker, and in open play, she presses aggressively to convert turnovers into scoring chances within two passes.

South Carolina’s Katie Shea Collins is the closer—she leads the nation with 6 game-winning goals—a vertical threat who accelerates onto second balls, attacks the near post on low cutbacks and forces center backs to open their hips. If the Gamecocks score first, Collins’s habit of landing the decisive punch makes them brutally effective at protecting leads.

On Florida’s side of the bracket, scouting Kentucky involves assessing a balanced front four. While striker Alexis Tylenda currently leads the Wildcats with seven goals alongside Anna Sikorski, their main source of chance creation comes from Catherine Rapp and Tanner Strickland—both with six assists.

Rapp is a clever attacking midfielder. She arrives late at the top of the box and sends through balls after drawing defenders. Strickland stretches defenses with diagonal runs, known for unselfishly squaring the ball across the face of the goal consistently. Together, they shift the field, rack up corners and force back lines to defend the cutback zone—an area Florida must protect.

What to expect?

Pensacola has become the SEC’s proving ground, and 2025’s bracket is built for late-game drama. Watch for tough defenses trying to smother rising offenses and a Florida route that’s challenging—but very manageable if the Gators tactics and set pieces are on point. Prepare for layered plays, get the national anthem ready and clear your evenings. November soccer in the SEC never fails to deliver.

Sunday’s first round matchups to follow this Sunday:

Alabama Vs. South Carolina, 12:30 p.m.

Florida Vs.  Kentucky, 3:00 p.m.

Oklahoma Vs. Mississippi State, 5:30 p.m.

Auburn Vs. LSU, 8:00 p.m. 

Category: Gator Sports, Gators Soccer, SEC, Soccer