Big Ten Dominates March Madness, Seizing Spotlight from SEC

Four Big Ten teams reach the Elite Eight, tying a tournament record as the conference continues its strong performance in the NCAA Tournament.

Mar. 28, 2026 at 5:22am

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The Big Ten conference has made a strong showing in this year's NCAA Tournament, with a league-record six teams reaching the Sweet 16 and now four teams advancing to the Elite Eight. This marks the first time since 2009 that a conference has had four teams in the regional finals, tying the tournament record. The Big Ten's success has come at the expense of the SEC, which dominated last year's tournament but has seen several of its teams eliminated by Big Ten opponents this year.

Why it matters

The Big Ten's dominance in this year's March Madness tournament is significant, as the conference has long struggled to win a national championship, with its last title coming in 2000. The strong performance of Big Ten teams this year, including several upsets of SEC opponents, has put the conference in the national spotlight and increased its chances of breaking through for its first title in over 25 years.

The details

The Big Ten has four teams in the Elite Eight - Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, and Purdue - which is a league record. This includes an all-Big Ten matchup in the South Region final between Illinois and Iowa. No other conference has more than one team remaining in the regional finals. The Big Ten's success comes after the conference had a national-best six teams ranked in the AP Top 25 entering the tournament and received nine bids, second only to the SEC's 10.

  • The Big Ten's record-setting performance in this year's NCAA Tournament comes after the SEC dominated last year's tournament.
  • The Big Ten last had four teams reach the Elite Eight in 2009, tying the tournament record.

The players

Dusty May

The head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, who defeated Alabama to advance to the Elite Eight.

Matt Painter

The head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers, who are set to face top-seeded Arizona in the West Region final.

Ben McCollum

The first-year head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, who have reached their first regional final since 1987.

Roddy Gayle Jr.

A senior guard for the Michigan Wolverines, who expressed his belief that the Big Ten is the best conference in the world.

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What they’re saying

“The talent in our league is very good. I think you're seeing that here in the tournament. Like very good. I think it's been about as good as it's been for a long, long time.”

— Matt Painter, Purdue Head Coach

“The good part is it helped a lot of us in the tournament. I think sometimes it can hurt you too, just because you get beat up a little bit, maybe lose your confidence. It helped us from a process perspective and we continued to grow and get better, and be better and better as long as we focused on that.”

— Ben McCollum, Iowa Head Coach

“I think the Big Ten Conference is the best conference in the world. Obviously we want everybody in the Big Ten to be successful. But just kind of seeing the success that the conference has had in the tournament is really good. And I think it speaks to how good we were in the season to be able to finish first.”

— Roddy Gayle Jr., Michigan Senior Guard

What’s next

The Big Ten will look to continue its strong performance in the NCAA Tournament, with the potential for an all-Big Ten matchup in the Final Four if Illinois and Iowa both advance. The conference will also be aiming to end its long national championship drought, which dates back to Michigan State's title in 2000.

The takeaway

The Big Ten's dominant showing in this year's NCAA Tournament, with four teams reaching the Elite Eight, has shifted the national spotlight away from the SEC and positioned the conference to potentially end its long title drought. The depth and talent of the Big Ten has been on full display, underscoring the conference's status as one of the premier basketball leagues in the country.