 Beginning with the 1988 season, the winner was no longer considered the conference's overall champion, although the winner continued to receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.In 1990, the conference did not accept an automatic bid after lightning and heavy rain disrupted the tournament's championship game and co-champions were declared.The teams in the cancelled championship game, LSU and Mississippi State, had already received bids to the NCAA Tournament by being selected as regional hosts before the SEC Tournament.