This year’s Big Ten tournament is more “big” than “ten.” All 18 members have a spot in the 2026 bracket, which means extra games and greater upset potential. The conference tourney runs from Tuesday to Sunday, with all matchups going down at the Madhouse on Madison.

Nine different teams logged double-digit Big Ten wins during the league’s crowded regular season. Michigan pushed through the field to secure its first regular-season title since 2020-21. The Wolverines are now trying to claim back-to-back conference tournaments and hit March Madness with maxed momentum. Doing so would be no small feat, as five other programs (Michigan State, Illinois, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin) closed the regular season with AP rankings.

Here’s your hub for five loaded days of B1G ball. We’ll have updated scores after each round, so check back here to get caught up.

How to watch the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament

Big Ten Network is also available on Fox One and the Fox Sports app. CBS is free over the air and also available on Paramount+.

Big Ten tournament preview

Michigan has been wholly dominant in conference play, with 19 wins in 20 tries. Its one defeat was a three-point stinger to Wisconsin back on Jan. 10. Dusty May is coaching his side up to top-five marks in offensive and defensive ratings.

After three years of junior college ball and two more seasons at UAB, senior skeleton key Yaxel Lendeborg has been the Wolverines’ lead force. The strong frontcourt also includes Morez Johnson Jr., who paces the Big Ten in field goal percentage, and Aday Mara, the league leader in blocks per game.

Three teams finished at 15-5 in the conference’s regular season. Illinois comes in as the second-best scoring offense, with five Illini averaging double-digit points per game. The headliner is freshman Keaton Wagler, who shoots 41 percent behind the arc on high volume. Wagler’s playmaking skills and perimeter confidence have boosted him from unheralded recruit to possible NBA lottery pick. Brad Underwood coaches an efficient and aggressive system that also allows the fewest free throws in the nation.

Elsewhere, Nebraska gives up the second-fewest points in the Big Ten. Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers generate pressure; his son, Sam, leads the league in steals per game at 2.1. Nebraska gives the greenest of lights to Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort, who shoots better than 40 percent on more than eight 3-point attempts per outing.

Michigan State has 15 conference wins, though its two losses to the archenemy Wolverines still linger. Tom Izzo deploys a balanced Spartans squad that opens up looks around nexus Jeremy Fears Jr. The redshirt sophomore point guard tops Division I in total assists. Defense is stabilized on the inside with four-year fixture Jaxon Kohler and three-year Spartan Coen Carr.

Though it’s been a far cry from its preseason No. 1 status, Purdue still has juice around its senior trio — the dimer Braden Smith, 3-point specialist Fletcher Loyer and steady rebounder Trey Kaufman-Renn.

Wisconsin closed out strong with four wins in its final five regular-season dates. Senior Nick Boyd and junior John Blackwell rank among the conference’s top-10 scorers.

UCLA has also won four of its last five games, with monumental Ws against Illinois and Nebraska. Against the Illini, the Bruins’ Donovan Dent produced one of the Big Ten season’s biggest moments, a full-court stampede to beat the buzzer and pump up Pauley Pavilion.

Other players to watch include Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton, who is now the storied program’s all-time scoring leader, and Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli, who outscored the rest of the conference at 22.7 points per game.

Tournament schedule

All times ET. Conference tournament seedings are also listed. 

Tuesday, March 10 – First round

Broadcasters: NBCSN, Peacock

Game 1: No. 16 Oregon vs. No. 17 Maryland, 5 p.m.
Game 2: No. 15 Northwestern vs. No. 18 Penn State, 25 minutes following Game 1 or approximately 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 11 – Second round

Broadcasters: NBCSN, Peacock, Big Ten Network

Game 3: No. 9 Iowa vs. Game 1 winner, noon (NBCSN/Peacock)
Game 4: No. 12 Washington vs. No. 13 USC, 25 minutes following Game 3 or approximately 2:30 p.m. (NBCSN/Peacock)
Game 5: No. 10 Indiana vs. Game 2 winner, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)
Game 6: No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 14 Rutgers, 25 minutes following Game 5 or approximately 9 p.m. (BTN)
Thursday, March 12 – Third round

Broadcaster: BTN

Game 7: No. 8 Ohio State vs. Game 3 winner, noon
Game 8: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. Game 4 winner, 25 minutes following Game 7 or approximately 2:30 p.m.
Game 9: No. 7 Purdue vs. Game 5 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 10: No. 6 UCLA vs. Game 6 winner, 25 minutes following Game 9 or approximately 9 p.m.
Friday, March 13 – Quarterfinals

Broadcaster: BTN

Game 11: No. 1 Michigan vs. Game 7 winner, noon
Game 12: No. 4 Illinois vs. Game 8 winner, 25 minutes following Game 11 or approximately 2:30 p.m.
Game 13: No. 2 Nebraska vs. Game 9 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 12: No. 3 Michigan State vs. Game 10 winner, 25 minutes following Game 13 or approximately 9 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 – Semifinals

Broadcaster: CBS

Game 15: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 16: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner, 25 minutes following Game 15 or approximately 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 15 – Championship

Broadcaster: CBS

Game 17: Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Last 10 Big Ten tournament champs

2025: Michigan
2024: Illinois
2023: Purdue
2022: Iowa
2021: Illinois
2020: Tournament canceled for COVID-19 pandemic
2019: Michigan State
2018: Michigan
2017: Michigan
2016: Michigan State
2015: Wisconsin

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