With March Madness just around the corner, each of the NCAA Division 1 conferences are preparing for their own bracket-based tournaments and final championship games ahead of the national competition.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 TIAA Big Ten Conference Tournament. For other conference dates, click here. Find out how to watch Games 1-4 here and Games 5-14 here.
Basic Details of the 2026 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Conference Tournament
GettyDain Dainja #42 of the Illinois Fighting Illini and AJ Storr #2 of the Wisconsin Badgers compete for the rebound in the second half at Target Center during the Championship game of the Big Ten Tournament on March 17, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Fighting Illini defeated the Badgers 93-87.
The Big Ten will hold the 2026 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament to determine who takes home the Big Ten Conference title between March 10 – March 15, 2026. Here are a few basic details about the Big Ten tournament and location:
- Dates of Tournament: March 10, 2026 – March 15, 2026
- Championship Game: March 15, 2026 at 2:30 PM CT
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Venue: United Center
- 2025 Big Ten Champions: University of Michigan Wolverines
Schools Competing in the 2026 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament
GettyHead coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates after cutting the nets after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 16, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Big Ten Conference is one of the larger NCAA Division 1 conferences considered a power player in Men’s College Basketball. Due to the size of the conference, the Big Ten tournament will be one day longer than many other conference championship tournaments. There are 18 teams competing in this year’s 2026 TIAA Big Ten Conference Tournament, which can be found below along with the name for the team that will be used in broadcast commentary and on March Madness brackets once the national competition kicks off later this month.
- Illinois – University of Illinois Fighting Illini
- Indiana – Indiana University Hoosiers
- Iowa – The University of Iowa Hawkeyes
- Maryland – University of Maryland Terrapins
- Michigan – University of Michigan Wolverines
- Michigan State – Michigan State University Spartans
- Minnesota – University of Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Nebraska – University of Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Northwestern – Northwestern University Wildcats
- Ohio State – The Ohio State University Buckeyes
- Penn State – The Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions
- Purdue – Purdue University Boilermakers
- Rutgers – Rutgers University Scarlet Knights
- Oregon – University of Oregon Ducks
- UCLA – University of California at Los Angeles Bruins
- USC – University of Southern California Trojans
- Washington – University of Washington Huskies
- Wisconsin – University of Wisconsin Badgers
Full Schedule of All Big Ten Conference Tournament Games
GettyA detail of a logo prior to the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship between the Michigan Wolverines and the Wisconsin Badgers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 16, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
There will be 17 games played during the 2026 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Conference Tournament. Here are the days, bracket seeds, and start times of each round of tournament action. The official Big Ten Conference broadcast partner for each game is listed in parentheses. To learn how you can stream games using a free trial, click here.
First Round – Tuesday March 10, 2026
- Game 1 – No. 16 seed vs No. 17 seed, 4:00 PM CT (Peacock)
- Game 2 – No. 15 seed vs No. 18 seed, 25 minutes after Game 1 ends (Peacock)
Second Round – Wednesday March 11, 2026
- Game 3 – Game 1 Winner vs. No. 9 seed, 11:00 AM CT (Peacock)
- Game 4 – No. 12 seed vs No. 13 seed, 25 minutes after Game 3 ends (Peacock)
- Game 5 – Game 2 Winner vs. No. 10 seed, 5:30 PM CT (BTN)
- Game 6 – No. 11 seed vs No. 14 seed, 25 minutes after Game 5 ends (BTN)
Third Round – Thursday March 12, 2026
- Game 7 – Game 3 Winner vs No. 8 seed, 11:00 AM CT (BTN)
- Game 8 – Game 4 Winner vs No. 5 seed, 25 minutes after Game 7 ends (BTN)
- Game 9 – Game 5 Winner vs No. 7 seed, 5:30 PM CT (BTN)
- Game 10 – Game 6 Winner vs No. 6 seed, 25 minutes after Game 10 ends (BTN)
Quarterfinals – Friday March 13, 2026
- Game 11 – Game 7 Winner vs No. 1 seed, 11:00 AM CT (BTN)
- Game 12 – Game 8 Winner vs No. 4 seed, 25 minutes after Game 11 ends (BTN)
- Game 13 – Game 9 Winner vs No. 2 seed, 5:30 PM CT (BTN)
- Game 14 – Game 10 Winner vs No. 3 seed, 25 minutes after Game 13 ends (BTN)
Semifinals – Saturday March 14, 2026
- Game 15 – Game 11 Winner vs Game 12 Winner, 12:00 PM CT (CBS)
- Game 16 – Game 13 Winner vs Game 14 Winner, 25 minutes after Game 15 ends (CBS)
Final/Big Ten Championship Game:
- Game 17 – Game 15 Winner vs Game 16 Winner, 2:30 PM CT (CBS)
2026 Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament & Championship – Full Schedule, All Teams & How to Watch