BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference released the SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday, as the University of Florida men's tennis team was picked as favorites by the leagues' coaches to win the SEC title for the second consecutive year.
The Gators, who finished 25-4 with a NCAA Final Four run and went a flawless 12-0 in SEC play to claim the 2019 SEC regular season crown, totaled 155 points to be tabbed as the league's favorite for the 2020 season. Texas A&M followed with 139 points, while Georgia and South Carolina were slotted in a tie for third with 120 points each.
Despite the praise for UF's 2019-20 squad in receiving the No. 1 ranking in the Oracle/ITA Preseason Rankings and being the 2020 SEC title favorite, the conference remains extremely competitive with five teams – including No. 2 Florida – in the Oracle/ITA Top 25 National Rankings: Texas A&M (No. 9), South Carolina (No. 15), Tennessee (No. 16) and Georgia (No. 19). Additionally, Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi State are receiving votes to be included in the top 25.
The preseason poll is voted on by the men's tennis head coach at each institution and is based on a 13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 vote.
The complete tally for the poll is below.
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL:
| PLACE |
SCHOOL |
POINTS |
| 1 |
Florida |
155 |
| 2 |
Texas A&M |
139 |
| 3 |
Georgia |
120 |
|
South Carolina |
120 |
| 5 |
Tennessee |
111 |
| 6 |
Mississippi State |
101 |
| 7 |
Kentucky |
84 |
| 8 |
Alabama |
65 |
| 9 |
LSU |
58 |
| 10 |
Vanderbilt |
47 |
| 11 |
Ole Miss |
44 |
| 12 |
Arkansas |
24 |
| 13 |
Auburn |
19 |
The Gators are back in action this weekend, welcoming USF, Fresno State and Temple to the Alfred A. Ring Complex for ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 25-26. Play begins on Saturday, Jan. 25, at Linder Stadium with USF and Fresno State first at 11 a.m., followed by Florida and Temple at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, will feature a consolation match at 10 a.m., followed by the ITA Kickoff championship match at 2 p.m.
