Big Ten dominates college sports, winning national titles in football, men's and women's basketball

The Big Ten Conference becomes the first since 2007 to win national championships in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball in the same year.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 5:37am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A fractured, multi-perspective painting breaking down college sports competitions into sharp, overlapping geometric planes in navy, yellow, and red, conceptually representing the Big Ten's athletic prowess.The Big Ten's dominance across major college sports is captured in a cubist, geometric deconstruction of the action.Indianapolis Today

The Big Ten Conference has emerged as the dominant force in college sports, winning national titles in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball in the same year for the first time since 2007. Michigan gave the conference its first men's basketball title in 26 years, while UCLA won the Big Ten's first women's championship in 27 years. This comes just three months after Indiana won the College Football Playoff, making the Big Ten the first conference to achieve this feat in over a decade.

Why it matters

The Big Ten's dominance across multiple high-profile college sports programs highlights the conference's ability to consistently field elite teams and develop top talent. This success reinforces the Big Ten's status as one of the premier athletic conferences in the country and puts pressure on other major conferences like the SEC to step up their game.

The details

Michigan's 69-63 win over Connecticut in the men's basketball national championship game capped off a dominant NCAA Tournament run for the Wolverines. Just a day earlier, UCLA won the women's basketball title, giving the Big Ten its first championship in that sport in 27 years. This historic achievement comes on the heels of Indiana winning the College Football Playoff in January, making the Big Ten the first conference since 2007 to claim all three major national titles in the same academic year.

  • On April 6, 2026, UCLA won the Big Ten's first women's basketball national championship in 27 years.
  • On April 7, 2026, Michigan defeated Connecticut to give the Big Ten its first men's basketball title in 26 years.
  • In January 2026, Indiana won the College Football Playoff, giving the Big Ten all three major national titles in the same academic year for the first time since 2007.

The players

Warde Manuel

The athletic director of the University of Michigan, who celebrated the Wolverines' men's basketball national championship.

Tony Petitti

The commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, who expressed the conference's expectation to win national championships across all sports.

Greg Sankey

The commissioner of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), whose conference has faced a recent drought in winning national titles compared to the Big Ten's recent dominance.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We're here and we won because of what the Big Ten brings in basketball. And I think UCLA can say the same.”

— Warde Manuel, Michigan Athletic Director

“We expect to win national championships. That's what we compete for.”

— Tony Petitti, Big Ten Commissioner

“When I first got to the league three years ago, they talked about, `We want to compete in everything,'”

— Tony Petitti, Big Ten Commissioner

What’s next

The Big Ten will look to continue its dominance in the upcoming men's Frozen Four hockey tournament, where Michigan and Wisconsin are both competing.

The takeaway

The Big Ten's historic achievement of winning national championships in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball in the same year underscores the conference's ability to consistently field elite programs across multiple high-profile sports. This success puts the Big Ten in a league of its own and raises the bar for other major conferences to step up their game.