2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Kicks Off

Michigan aims to defend title as tournament begins at United Center in Chicago

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The 2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is set to begin on Tuesday, March 10 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Regular-season champion Michigan enters as the top seed, seeking to become the first team to win back-to-back Big Ten tournament titles since 2017-18. The first-round games will be streamed live on Peacock, with the rest of the tournament airing on Big Ten Network and CBS.

Why it matters

The Big Ten is one of the premier college basketball conferences, and its annual tournament is a highly anticipated event that showcases some of the best teams and players in the country. With Michigan looking to defend its title, the tournament promises to be an exciting showcase of talent and competition.

The details

The tournament will feature a total of 16 teams, with the top four seeds - Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, and Michigan State - earning triple byes to the quarterfinals. The first-round games on Tuesday will see No. 17 Maryland take on No. 16 Oregon, and No. 18 Penn State face off against No. 15 Northwestern. The winners of those games will advance to the second round on Wednesday.

  • The tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
  • The championship game will be played on Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The players

Michigan Wolverines

The regular-season champion and top seed in the tournament, the Michigan Wolverines are seeking to become the first team to win back-to-back Big Ten tournament titles since 2017-18.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

The No. 2 seed in the tournament, the Nebraska Cornhuskers finished the regular season with a 15-5 conference record and a 26-5 overall record.

Illinois Fighting Illini

The No. 3 seed in the tournament, the Illinois Fighting Illini finished the regular season with a 15-5 conference record and a 24-7 overall record.

Michigan State Spartans

The No. 4 seed in the tournament, the Michigan State Spartans finished the regular season with a 15-5 conference record and a 25-6 overall record.

Paul Burmeister

The play-by-play announcer for the first-round and second-round games on Peacock and NBCSN.

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What they’re saying

“We must defend our title and prove that we are the best team in the Big Ten.”

— Juwan Howard, Head Coach, Michigan Wolverines

“This tournament is always a great showcase of the talent and competitiveness in the Big Ten. I'm excited to see how it all unfolds.”

— Robbie Hummel, Analyst

What’s next

The first-round games on Tuesday, March 10 will determine the matchups for the second-round games on Wednesday, March 11. The tournament will then continue with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship game over the following days.

The takeaway

The 2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament promises to be an exciting event, with the top-seeded Michigan Wolverines looking to defend their title against a talented field of contenders. Fans can look forward to high-level competition and drama as the conference's best teams battle it out for the championship.