Honestly, if you weren't at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola this past November, you missed one of the most chaotic weeks in college sports history. The SEC women's soccer tournament isn't just another post-season bracket anymore. It’s evolved into this high-stakes, humidity-soaked gauntlet where rankings basically go to die.
Take 2025. Nobody—and I mean nobody—had Vanderbilt and LSU pegged for that final. Arkansas was the juggernaut. They had just secured the regular-season title with 23 points, led by Coach of the Year Colby Hale. They looked untouchable. But that’s the thing about the SEC; the regular season is just a suggestion once you hit the sand-adjacent turf in Florida.
Why the SEC Women's Soccer Tournament is a Different Beast
Most people assume the top seed just rolls through. It makes sense on paper, right? But the 2025 bracket proved that depth in this conference is getting ridiculous. We saw #10 Alabama knock out #7 South Carolina in the first round. Then we saw #8 Mississippi State—a team that barely scratched into the tournament—take down the mighty Razorbacks in the quarterfinals.
It was a 2-1 shocker that sent the regular-season champs home early and opened the door for absolute madness.
The tournament structure is a twelve-team single-elimination format. The top four teams get a "double bye," which sounds like a massive advantage. But sometimes, sitting around for four days while other teams are getting "game-fit" in the Pensacola heat actually backfires. By the time the semifinals rolled around on November 6, the energy was just... different.
The Vanderbilt Resurgence
Vanderbilt’s path was anything but clean. They entered as the #2 seed but had to grind out a 2-1 win over Alabama just to see the daylight of the semifinals. Darren Ambrose, their head coach, has this way of making his teams believe they are immortal in November.
Remember 2020? They did the same thing then. In 2025, they weren't necessarily the flashiest team on the pitch, but they had "Wojo."
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Sara Wojdelko. If you don't know the name, you haven't been paying attention to SEC goalkeeping. She was named the 2025 SEC Goalkeeper of the Year for a reason. She’s got this calm, almost eerie presence between the posts that makes shooters second-guess themselves.
The Three-Hour Final That Nobody Expected
The championship match between Vanderbilt and LSU on November 9 was a literal marathon. It lasted three hours. LSU, the #5 seed, came out swinging. Gabbi Ceballos put the Tigers up in the 25th minute, and for a long time, it looked like the trophy was headed to Baton Rouge.
Vandy was struggling. They were down a goal at half. They were losing the shot count 6-3.
But then, the 69th minute happened. Courtney Jones—who ended up as the Tournament MVP—sent a free kick into the box. It was messy. The ball deflected off LSU’s keeper, Audur Scheving, and Vivian Akyirem was just... there. She poked it in. 1-1.
The Penalty Shootout From Hell
Double overtime didn't solve anything. So, we went to PKs.
If you’ve ever played soccer, you know the feeling of a shootout. It’s 90% mental. Vanderbilt had only taken one penalty kick the entire regular season. One! LSU was organized, they were gritty, and they had Vandy on the ropes early.
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But then Wojdelko started doing "Wojo" things.
She made a diving save on Gadea Blanco González to keep them alive. Then she did it again. The shootout went deep into the roster. Eventually, it came down to a 1-1 count that turned into an 8-7 thriller. Wojdelko sealed the deal by stopping Jazmin Ferguson’s shot.
The Commodores took home their fourth SEC women's soccer tournament title, and the second under Ambrose. It was pure, unadulterated sports drama.
The Players Who Owned the Season
While the tournament is the highlight, you can't talk about this league without mentioning the individual talent. The 2025 All-SEC teams were stacked with players who are likely going to be household names in the NWSL soon.
- Sydney Watts (Vanderbilt): The Forward of the Year. She scored the crucial opener in the semifinal against Georgia and just creates space where there shouldn't be any.
- Ally Perry (Mississippi State): The Midfielder of the Year. She was the engine behind the Bulldogs' upset of Arkansas.
- Gracie Falla (South Carolina): Even though the Gamecocks went out early, Falla was the best defender in the league, period.
- Gianna Paul (Alabama): She became Alabama's all-time leading goal scorer this year. She’s fast, physical, and a nightmare for outside backs.
What Most People Get Wrong About the SEC
There's this weird misconception that the SEC is just "big athletes running fast." While the physicality is definitely there—the 2025 final saw four yellow cards and a lot of "tactical" fouling—the technical level has skyrocketed.
Look at Georgia. Under Keidane McAlpine, they play a style that is incredibly sophisticated. They lost to Kentucky in a PK shootout in the quarters (5-4), but their movement off the ball is as good as any ACC powerhouse.
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The expansion of the conference has also changed the math. Adding Texas and Oklahoma wasn't just a football move. Texas actually entered 2025 as the defending tournament champs from 2024. But guess what? They didn't even qualify for the 2025 tournament. That's how brutal this league is. You can go from lifting the trophy to watching from your couch in twelve months.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Recruits
If you’re planning on following the SEC women's soccer tournament in 2026 or beyond, or if you’re a player looking to play in this conference, here’s the reality:
- Throw out the seeding. In the last few years, we’ve seen #6, #7, and now #5 seeds make deep runs or win the whole thing. The "bye" is nice for the legs, but it doesn't guarantee a trophy.
- Goalkeeping wins championships. Look at the MVPs and the standout performers. It’s almost always the keepers (like Wojdelko or Mia Justus in 2024) who decide the outcome in the final moments.
- The Pensacola factor is real. The tournament has found a home at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex. The atmosphere is intimate, but the grass is fast and the humidity is a literal physical opponent. Teams that don't rotate their rosters during the week usually collapse by Sunday.
- Expect the unexpected from the newcomers. The "old guard" like Florida (who dominated the 90s and 2000s) are being pushed by programs like Arkansas and Mississippi State that have invested heavily in soccer-specific facilities.
The 2025 season officially ended with Vanderbilt falling in an Elite Eight heartbreaker to TCU (2-1 in OT), but the statement was made. The SEC is no longer a "one-team" or "two-team" league. It is a 16-team shark tank.
If you want to catch the action next year, keep an eye on the SEC Network starting in late October. The "Road to Pensacola" is usually a lot more interesting than the destination itself.
Next Steps for Followers
Check the final 2025 RPI rankings to see how many SEC teams actually secured NCAA bids—it was 10 last year, a conference record. You should also track the transfer portal this spring; with coaching changes at Mississippi State (Kevin O'Brien) and Ole Miss (Todd Shulenberger), the rosters for the 2026 SEC women's soccer tournament are going to look very different by August.