In the lobby of the Westin Hotel in downtown Nashville last March, Auburn coaches couldn't hide their disappointment after the Tigers had been given a No. 4 seed despite running through the SEC Tournament and finishing tied for second during the regular season.

The victory over Florida seemed enough to slide Bruce Pearl's squad up to a three-seed, but the selection committee ignored the three-day run in Bridgestone Arena, not rewarding the Tigers for their title.

Pearl and his team find themselves in a similar but somewhat different position heading into the tournament this year. The Tigers have wrapped up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and are likely, even with a third straight loss, to be the top overall seed for March Madness. If there's any indication that the tournament committee doesn't pay attention to what happens during the major conference tournaments, last year was significant.

So, what do the Tigers have to play for? And is the SEC Tournament still relevant in the big picture?

During his coaching days at Kentucky, John Calipari often argued that his attention was never entirely on the annual conference tourney. His goals for the Wildcats were much bigger, with Final Fours and national titles earning priority over yet another SEC banner to hang in Rupp Arena. To his credit, and I can't believe I agree with him, he's correct. For Kentucky fans, most seasons, especially in the years under Calipari, it was national title or bust.

Granted, Calipari ignored that a large portion of Kentucky's fan base planned their vacations and spring breaks around coming to the tournament to give the Wildcats a homecourt-like advantage, but he knew what the expectations were.

The same couldn't be said for Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and other schools that value SEC titles. Well, until this year, that is. Those teams (plus Florida) have their sights on much bigger things: San Antonio, a Final Four, and, obviously, bringing home the ultimate prize.

Auburn's run in the 2019 SEC Tournament kept a fire lit under the Tigers that helped them reach the program's first Final Four. Last year, Auburn had the same thing going for it into March Madness, but all of it was thrown into a trash can following the opening-round upset loss to Yale.

The so-called momentum the Tigers used in 2019 didn't matter in 2024. Alabama, fresh off an opening-round loss in the SEC tourney, reached its first Final Four last season. So, the notion that going into the NCAA Tournament red hot was all but forgotten.

History has taught us that winning the conference tourney doesn't matter in the end game. Kentucky's two best teams that have won a national title (1995-96 and 2011-12) lost in an upset in the final game on Sunday only to see them dominate through six games to the grand trophy.

There's also the risk of injuries, something that has bitten Auburn some this season and one of the things that could keep the Tigers from achieving the ultimate goal. Early in last year's championship game, Florida center Micah Handogten suffered a gruesome leg fracture that had his teammates weeping on the sidelines. Somehow, the Gators pulled themselves together, but they were never the same as Auburn pulled away for the victory.

Another injury to Johni Broome or Denver Jones in a tournament that seems to mean little to the NCAA Tournament committee and what happens during the rest of March could derail Auburn.

Granted, another SEC banner hanging in Neville Arena would add to Pearl's legacy and tenure on the Plains. But winning three games in Nashville isn't the end all, nor should it be for any team with bigger goals than sealing a spot in the NCAA Tournament itself.

Fans will fill Bridgestone Arena with conference bragging rights on the line but hardly anything else. People often forget who won the 2012 SEC Tournament (Vanderbilt), but they remember Anthony Davis and Kentucky winning the national title.

The SEC Tournament has been played yearly since 1979, following an absence of 27 years. Its importance has dwindled in recent years, with this season being one where its relevance is in question.

What does the future hold? For the conference, it just means more money. For teams, it just means more games after a gauntlet of a season.

So, as Auburn has already won the SEC regular-season title and clinched a No. 1 seed with a spot in San Antonio on the last weekend of the college basketball season on their mind, is the tournament even important?

Many will argue that, of course, it is. Some will counter those arguments, stating that it has become an exhibition leading up to the real deal.

I say its relevance is lower than anytime before.