In the SEC, dominance is no joke. Looking at national championships, the conference clearly runs the table. Counting the newest additions to the conference in Oklahoma and Texas, the SEC has won 38 national championships in football, baseball and men’s and women’s basketball since 2000.
Succeeding in a conference with South Carolina women’s basketball, Alabama football and Vanderbilt baseball has proven difficult for potential contenders.
With the addition of a national championship in baseball in 2022, as well as the successes of women’s basketball coach Yolette McPhee-McCuin, the hiring of men’s basketball coach Chris Beard and the addition of the new Manning Center, Ole Miss fans have to ask a very important question: Which of our teams is the closest to winning another national championship?
Women’s Basketball
Ole Miss’ women’s basketball team was undoubtedly the most successful program among the grouping of men’s basketball, baseball and football last season. Coach McPhee-McCuin, along with developing one of the most well-rounded rosters in the country, reached new heights with the team’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, and the expectation across the fanbase is that the best is yet to come.
The Lady Rebels lost star players Angel Baker and Myah Taylor, but Coach Yo made quick work in replacing them with North Carolina standout Kennedy Todd-Williams and Florida star KK Deans.
With the large number of returners, other portal additions and high school recruits, this women’s basketball program is set up for the present and future.
From a purely all-around viewpoint, the Lady Rebels have the most complete, championship-ready roster of the four major sports. Women’s basketball is as open and competitive as ever, and it might be sooner rather than later that Coach Yo and her program seize their opportunity to win a championship.
Men’s Basketball
It is hard to place expectations on a team that faced as much staff and roster turnover as the Ole Miss men’s basketball team. Beard, who coached previously at Texas Tech and Texas, has proven to be an elite and valuable hire from a recruiting standpoint, but we have yet to see how it will all translate on the court.
Beard pulled in transfer after transfer in the off-season, but an underrated aspect of his arrival in Oxford was his ability to keep players from last year. This will prove to be a vital ingredient to success not just for this year but for many years to come.
Not many people expect the Ole Miss men’s basketball team to win in year one, or even year two under Beard. A rebuild takes a bit longer. However, Beard is known for his quick turnarounds and success in March Madness, so nothing is off the table.
Football
Managing expectations is crucial to remaining sane as a football fan at any level, but especially a fan of an SEC team not based in Alabama or Georgia. Breaking through for a title in football is no small task, but with a young core like Ole Miss has, it would be impossible not to be excited about the coming years.
With the top returning running back in the SEC (and arguably the nation), Quinshon Judkins, a quarterback room featuring Spencer Sanders, Austin Simmons, Jaxson Dart and Walker Howard, and a forward-thinking head coach in Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss boasts a good case for championship contention.
Nothing is guaranteed, but also nothing is out of the question for the Rebels. In a potential off-year for Alabama, there is a chance Ole Miss could go on a run in the playoffs, even if that chance is slim. If not this year, then Ole Miss can look forward to the upcoming expanded 12-team playoff.
Baseball
For a team that won a title in 2022, the Ole Miss Rebels were not very competitive last season, in the SEC or otherwise. Given that the 2023 Rebels went 25-29 on the year (6-24 in the SEC, the worst mark since 1997), some new faces would not be a bad sight for Head Coach Mike Bianco and company.
As always, consistent success is hard to come by in a conference like the SEC. With the additions of Oklahoma and Texas in 2024, as well as the powerhouses across the conference in Vanderbilt, LSU, Tennessee and Florida, the Rebels will have to earn every victory they can and take advantage of the opportunities given on a game-to-game basis.
Ole Miss baseball is etched in the history books for winning the 2022 national championship, but barring a quick turnaround, other Ole Miss athletics programs are slightly closer to the next championship ring.
