User:Jay Jor/sandbox3

The 2024 SEC softball season began play Thursday, February 8, and conference play begins on Friday, March 8. The 2024 Southeastern Conference softball tournament takes place May 7–11 at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama. Vanderbilt University is the only full member of the Southeastern Conference to not sponsor a softball program.

SEC preseason poll
The head coaches SEC preseason poll was released on January 25, 2024. Each head coach votes on a scale of 12 points for first place down to 1 point for last place, 12th. Each coach only votes for 12 teams, since they can not vote for their own team. Tennessee was picked to finish 1st, with six 1st place votes. Georgia was 2nd with six 1st place votes. Florida, while only 7th in the poll, got the remaining single, 1st place vote.

National rankings
The SEC has had 11 of 13 softball teams ranked in some top 25 of these three polls. Kentucky and Missouri jumped in ranking. Missouri going from not ranked to top 15 in all three polls, and Kentucky also from not ranked, in two polls and 25th in the other, to top 18. Auburn is the only one that dropped by more than 3 and as much as 6, in any of the polls. The only other change of more than 3 places, up or down, in any poll, is LSU going up 8 places in one poll. Rankings of opponents is at the time of the game.
 * LSU went 5–0 against teams not ranked, but all five were shutouts, winning by an aggregate score of 47–0.
 * Missouri went 5–0 including a win over a ranked, at least as high as 13th, Utah.
 * Kentucky went 4–1 losing only to a ranked, at least as high as 24th, San Diego State, and beating twice, a ranked, at least as high as 3rd, Stanford.
 * Auburn went 1–1–1 losing to and tying a ranked, at least as high as 24th, Virginia Tech, and losing to a not ranked Belmont.

AFCA/USA Today
The 14th poll will be after the conference tournaments and before the NCAA tournament. The 15th poll, after the NCAA tournament, will be the final poll.

D1Softball
The 13th poll will be after the end of the regular season, before the conference tournaments, then the 14th poll, after the NCAA tournament, will be the final poll.

ESPN/USA Softball Collegiate
The 14th poll will be after the conference tournaments and before the NCAA tournament. The 15th poll, after the NCAA tournament, will be the final poll.