LEAD STORY: Media Picks Georgia to Win the SEC — Again
The voters at SEC Media Days in Tampa have made their call: Georgia is the pick to win the 2026 SEC Championship. The Bulldogs took 88 votes in the predicted order of finish, comfortably clearing Texas, which drew 57 votes to win the title on December 5 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The conference released the preseason poll and All-SEC teams on July 24.
The endorsement comes with a paper trail. Georgia has won the league's last two championship games, both times over an opponent the assembled media had installed as the favorite — which is exactly why the room appears to have stopped fighting it. The Bulldogs return significant talent and experience on both sides of the ball, and the projected title-game matchup with Texas puts Arch Manning's Longhorns on the other sideline in Atlanta.
One caveat worth stapling to the ballot: since the SEC began playing a championship game in 1992, the preseason media pick has actually gone on to win the title only 10 times. The poll is a measure of respect, not a reservation. Georgia will have to survive an SEC schedule that has swallowed better-regarded preseason favorites, and Texas is not the only team in the league capable of rearranging the projected order of finish by October.
QUICK HITS
Missouri picked 10th, fans want more. The SEC media slotted the Tigers in the bottom half of the league at No. 10, and FanDuel Sportsbook set Missouri's win total at 6.5. The fan base is aiming higher — the majority pointed to eight wins as the mark of a successful season. The path runs through quarterback Austin Simmons, with a real question mark at right tackle following the injury to Josh Atkins. Missouri opens September 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Mizzou hoops rotation takes shape. Rock M Nation's annual top-eight minutes projection drew 106 ballots, and five-star freshman Jason Crowe Jr. appeared on every single one — the only unanimous pick this year. Trent Pierce (103) and Bryson Tiller (101) followed, with Jaylen Carey and Jamier Jones tied at 93 and Kennard Davis Jr. and Toni Bryant tied at 86. Pierce has started 34 games over three seasons in Columbia, including the last 12 a year ago. Missouri added six high-profile pieces to a roster that ran a tight rotation last season.
Travis Perry on leaving Kentucky. The Lyon County product and Kentucky native — the state's all-time leading scorer at 5,481 points, a Mr. Basketball winner, two-time Gatorade Player of the Year and state champion — spoke with Joey Dwyer of Basket Under Review about departing the school he grew up rooting for. Perry averaged 2.7 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists as a freshman in Lexington while shooting 31.3% from the field, 32.1% from three and 80% at the line, with Kentucky's backcourt stacked around him. "I just kinda had to put the weight in the things I was really, really focused on, and that was becoming a better basketball player every day and being in the best situation for myself," Perry said. He lands at Dayton after a season with Ole Miss.
Track and softball hardware. A pair of Florida alumni, Austin and Diggs, competed on day two of the USATF Outdoor Championships at Icahn Stadium in New York, both falling just short of advancing in the men's 100 meters and women's 400 meters. On the diamond, Montana Fouts, Sami Williams and Reese Atwood were among the honorees at the inaugural AUSL Awards Reception on Friday night, per D1Softball.
Around the league. Ole Miss volleyball earned the 2026 AVCA Team Academic Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Guard Hayden Colson will begin his professional career in Iceland with Grindavik/Njardvik. And the Morning Memory rewind landed on Brock Bowers, a three-time All-SEC and All-American selection at Georgia with 2,538 receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns, including a three-touchdown afternoon against South Carolina in a 48-7 rout.
PORTAL WATCH
Nothing new to report over the last 12 hours. Late July is the dead zone for roster movement, and the SEC's basketball and football rosters are effectively locked. The Perry story above is the residue of a portal cycle that has already closed — an established SEC contributor finding a clearer runway to minutes elsewhere.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new commitments in the last 12 hours.
GAMES TO WATCH
No games on the SEC calendar today. The USATF Outdoor Championships continue in New York. On the football side, the countdown is on: Missouri opens September 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and the SEC Championship Game is set for December 5 in Atlanta — where, if the media room has it right, Georgia and Texas will settle this.
