College basketball conference power rankings: Massive spending helps SEC reclaim top spot entering 2026-27

The SEC is projected to reclaim conference supremacy during the 2026-27 season after the Big Ten produced two Final Four teams and its first national champion since 2000 in 2026. No conference can match the SEC's roster spending this year, and that's reflected in the overall level of talent accumulated within the conference.

But preseason projections and regular season realities don't always align. It's certainly not a foregone conclusion that the SEC will dominate the sport following a year of parity among the high-major leagues. The ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC each sent 8-10 teams to last year's NCAA Tournament. Including the Big East, all five high-major teams had at least one team still alive in the Elite Eight.

Buoyed by the eligibility (for now) of potential fifth-year stars like Trey Kaufman-Renn (Kansas), Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State) and Darrion Williams (Texas Tech), the Big 12 is best-positioned to challenge the SEC for conference supremacy.

What about the Big Ten? The league has a ton of questions to answer after a strong 2025-26 season, but Illinois is a clear national title contender. From there, things get a little foggier. But the Big East should be stronger than it was last season, and the Pac-12 is back on the scene. While the Pac-12 won't quite reclaim its former status as a high-major conference in men's college basketball, it stands above the other mid-major leagues.

Here are the college basketball conference power rankings entering the 2026-27 season.

1. SEC

Top 101 players: 30 (1.88 per team)
Preseason Bracketology: 13 of 16
$15 million rosters: 13

Who outside of Florida is a legitimate national title contender from the SEC? That's the league's biggest question as the 2026-27 season arrives. No. 12 Arkansas looks supremely talented, and No. 7 Texas is expected to take a huge leap under second-year coach Sean Miller. Can No. 8 Tennessee shake off a concerning exhibition slate and make good on the potential of an overhauled roster designed to produce more offense? With seven of the preseason top 25 teams, there are plenty of candidates. But someone will have to go out and prove they are on/near Florida's level after the Gators returned ample production from a team that won the SEC regular season crown by three games.

While the top of the league must sort itself out behind Florida, depth should be a strength. All but three teams spent a projected $15+ million on their rosters, according to CBS Sports. Additionally, 13 SEC teams made our preseason Bracketology projection. One of those that didn't was LSU. Retread coach Will Wade chose an unconventional path for constructing the first roster of his second tenure. If it pays off, the Tigers will be right back in the Big Dance for the first time since Wade was fired in 2022.

2. Big 12

Top 101 players: 17 (1.06 per team)
Preseason Bracketology: 9 of 16
$15 million rosters: 6

The Big 12 features five of the top 12 teams in KenPom's preseason ratings. Arizona and Houston are the headliners. The Wildcats return two starters from a Final Four run and have reloaded around them. Houston should be steady as ever under Kelvin Sampson. The other three potentially elite teams — Iowa State, Kansas and Texas Tech — are all benefiting tremendously from eligibility lawsuits. However, if the legal underpinning of their rosters crumbles, trouble could loom. 

Another team to keep an eye on from the Big 12 is Baylor. After missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, the Bears aren't ranked entering the season. But after beating No. 1 Florida and No. 3 Illinois in exhibition action, Scott Drew's club could be on the upswing.

3. Big Ten

Top 101 players: 23 (1.28 per team)
Preseason Bracketology: 10 of 18
$15 million rosters: 5

The 1-2 punch of Illinois and Michigan State gives the Big Ten a couple of prime title candidates as the league seeks to follow up Michigan's 2026 championship. After that, there are some unknowns. The Wolverines lost their front court and their coach. The Braden Smith era is finally over at Purdue. Indiana, Maryland and Minnesota are trying to get traction under second-year coaches. Iowa broke through last season under new coach Ben McCollum, but the Hawkeyes must replace All-American point guard Bennett Stirtz.

Will Year 3 finally bring tangible progress for USC under Eric Musselman? Will the return of star Pryce Sandfort help Nebraska maintain its course after the greatest season in program history? There are a lot of questions to be answered in this league.

4. Big East

Top 101 players: 11 (1 per team)
Preseason Bracketology: 5 of 11
$15 million rosters: 2

UConn and St. John's will again be the standard bearers for a conference that sent just three of its 11 teams to the final 68-team NCAA Tournament last season. But this should be a bounce-back season after down years for normally steady programs like Creighton and Marquette, which impeded the Big East's overall standing.

Villanova appears to be on stable ground now under Kevin Willard, who guided the Wildcats to the Big Dance in his first season. Providence has juice under new coach Bryan Hodgson, and Creighton should immediately return to tournament contention under new coach Alan Huss. Watch out for Xavier, too. After finishing tied for last in the league in Richard Pitino's first season, the Musketeers are going to be significantly more competitive.

Assuming Marquette also returns to respectability — and there's no reason it shouldn't — the Big East will feature far more quality depth in 2026-27.

5. ACC

Top 101 players: 15 (0.83 per team)
Preseason Bracketology: 9 of 18
$15 million rosters: 4

The ACC went from four NCAA Tournament teams in 2025 to eight in 2026. While there's still a significant gap between Duke and everyone else, some fresh blood within the coaching ranks is helping the league's collective strength. Ryan Odom won 30 games in his first season at Virginia and has the Cavaliers well-positioned for another big year. It's a similar vibe for Miami, which surged from seven wins to 26 under first-year coach Jai Lucas last season.

Virginia, Miami and Louisville are the league's best bets other than Duke to produce a Final Four team. A strong North Carolina program is essential to the ACC's collective health, and the Tar Heels are rebooting under Mike Malone. Expectations there are relatively muted as the former Denver Nuggets coach enters the college game with a somewhat underwhelming first roster. The back half of the ACC remains a drag on the league's collective strength.

6. Pac-12

Top 101 players: 4 (0.44 per team)
Preseason Bracketology: 3 of 9
$15 million rosters: 1

This isn't the old Pac-12, but it could play the role of the old Mountain West as a reliable multi-bid league. Gonzaga leads the charge, but San Diego State, Utah State, Boise State and Colorado State are also strong programs with realistic hopes of making the 76-team NCAA Tournament.

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