| Big Ten men's basketball tournament | |
|---|---|
| Sport | College basketball |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Format | Single-elimination tournament |
| Current stadium | Gainbridge Fieldhouse |
| Current location | Indianapolis |
| Played | 1998–present |
| Last contest | 2025 |
| Current champion | Michigan (3) |
| Most championships | Michigan State (6) |
| TV partner(s) | CBS (semifinals/championship) Big Ten Network (second round, third round & quarterfinals) Peacock (first round) |
| Official website | Big Ten Men's Basketball |
| Sponsors | |
| TIAA | |
| Host stadiums | |
| United Center (1998–2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2019, 2023, 2026) Gainbridge Fieldhouse (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008–12, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022, 2025, 2027) Verizon Center (2017) Madison Square Garden (2018) Lucas Oil Stadium (2021) Target Center (2024) T-Mobile Arena (2028) | |
TheBig Ten men's basketball tournament is held annually at the end of the men'scollege basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since1998. The winner of the tournament is designated theBig Ten Tournament Champion, and receives the conference's automatic bid to theNCAA tournament. The Big Ten was one of the lastNCAA Division I college basketball conferences to start a tournament.
The finals of the tournament are typically held immediately before the field for the NCAA Tournament is announced, although in 2018 it was held the week before Selection Sunday.
On seven occasions, the champion of the tournament has gone on to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament (Michigan State in1999,2000, and2019,Illinois in2005,Ohio State in2007,Wisconsin in2015, andMichigan in2018). In2000, champion Michigan State won theNCAA tournament. The No. 1 seed has won the tournament ten times, the most of any seed. The lowest seed to win the tournament wasMichigan as a No. 8 seed in2017. Three schools have won two consecutive championships: Michigan State (1999, 2000), Ohio State (2010, 2011), and Michigan (2017, 2018).
Since its creation, the tournament has included every team in the conference, except for the 2025 edition, when only 15 of the 18 eligible teams were included.[1] Starting with the 2026 tournament, all 18 teams will be playing, which means the tournament will be completed over 6 days.
The Big Ten Men's Basketball tournaments have been held at neutral sites every year. The first four tournaments were held at theUnited Center inChicago, Illinois. Beginning in2002, the tournament alternated between the United Center and Conseco Fieldhouse (later known as Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and now asGainbridge Fieldhouse) inIndianapolis, Indiana. In2008, the tournament began a five-year stay in Indianapolis.[2]
On June 5, 2011, the Big Ten announced that the tournament would revert to alternating between Indianapolis and Chicago. The2013 and2015 tournaments were played at the United Center in Chicago and the2014 and2016 tournaments were played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.[3]
The2017 tournament was held atVerizon Center inWashington, D.C.[4][5] The2018 tournament was held atMadison Square Garden inNew York and held a week earlier than usual due to theBig East tournament, ending on March 4, 2018, one week beforeSelection Sunday.[6][7][8]
The 2019 through 2022 Tournaments returned to alternating between the United Center in Chicago and Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.[9] On February 9, 2021, it was announced that the2021 edition would be moved from its planned location of the United Center in Chicago toLucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis due to health and safety protocols relating to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in2022 as planned before returning to Chicago in2023.[10]
On April 20, 2022, the Big Ten announced thatMinneapolis will host the2024 edition at theTarget Center for the first time.[11] On July 31, 2024, the Big Ten announced the Tournament locations from 2025 through 2028, with the 2025 and 2027 editions being held at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the 2026 edition being held at the United Center, and for the first time, the 2028 edition being held at theT-Mobile Arena.[12]
Due to various rulings against participating programs, some of the results of the Big Ten tournament have beenvacated or voided. Here is a compiled list of sanctions imposed that have affected the results and records of the tournament since its inception. The information in this article does not include results of the teams in which records were vacated.
Through 2025 tournament
| School | Record | Winning Pct. | Championships | Runners-up | Championship Years | Runners-Up Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 36–21 | .632 | 6 | 1 | 1999, 2000, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019 | 2015 |
| Ohio State | 34–20[note 2] | .630 | 4 | 5 | 2002,[note 2] 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013 | 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2021 |
| Illinois | 35–23 | .603 | 4 | 4 | 2003, 2005, 2021, 2024 | 1999, 2000, 2004, 2008 |
| Michigan | 28–22[note 1] | .560 | 3 | 2 | 1998,[note 1] 2017, 2018, 2025 | 2014, 2019 |
| Wisconsin | 32–24 | .571 | 3 | 6 | 2004, 2008, 2015 | 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2024, 2025 |
| Iowa | 23–24 | .489 | 3 | 1 | 2001, 2006, 2022 | 2002 |
| Purdue | 21–25 | .457 | 2 | 4 | 2009, 2023 | 1998, 2016, 2018, 2022 |
| Oregon | 1–1 | .500 | 0 | 0 | ||
| USC | 1–1 | .500 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Penn State | 21–26 | .447 | 0 | 2 | 2011, 2023 | |
| Minnesota | 19–25[note 3] | .432 | 0 | 1 | 2010 | |
| Indiana | 17–27 | .386 | 0 | 1 | 2001 | |
| Maryland | 6–10 | .375 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Rutgers | 5–10 | .333 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Nebraska | 6–13 | .316 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Northwestern | 11–28 | .282 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Washington | 0–0 | – | 0 | 0 | ||
| UCLA | 0–1 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Through 2025 tournament[14]
| Teams (# of titles) | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020* | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| B1G (26) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (11) | (12) | (12) | (12) | (14) | (14) | (14) | (14) | (14) | (14) | (14) | (14) | (14) | (14) | |
| 1 | Michigan State (6) | QF | C | C | QF | QF | SF | SF | QF | SF | QF | SF | SF | QF | SF | C | SF | C | F | C | QF | SF | C | QF | 2R | SF | QF | QF |
| 2 | Ohio State (5) | 1R | SF | QF | QF | C | F | 1R | QF | F | C | QF | F | C | C | F | C | SF | QF | QF | 1R | QF | QF | 2R | F | 2R | SF | QF |
| 3 | Illinois (4) | SF | F | F | SF | SF | C | F | C | QF | SF | F | SF | SF | QF | 1R | QF | QF | 2R | QF | 2R | 1R | 2R | QF | C | QF | 2R | C |
| 4 | Michigan (3) | C | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | SF | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | QF | QF | SF | SF | QF | F | QF | SF | C | C | F | 2R | SF | 2R | 2R | 1R |
| 4 | Wisconsin (3) | QF | SF | SF | QF | QF | QF | C | F | QF | F | C | QF | QF | QF | SF | F | SF | C | 2R | F | QF | SF | QF | QF | QF | 1R | F |
| 4 | Iowa (3) | QF | QF | QF | C | F | 1R | QF | SF | C | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | QF | 2R | SF | C | 2R | 2R |
| 7 | Purdue (2) | F | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | SF | QF | C | SF | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | SF | F | QF | F | QF | 2R | QF | F | C | SF |
| 8 | Indiana (0) | QF | QF | QF | F | SF | SF | QF | QF | SF | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | SF | 1R | QF | QF | QF | 2R | 2R | 2R | 2R | SF | SF | QF |
| 8 | Minnesota (0) | SF | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | QF | SF | QF | 1R | SF | QF | F | 1R | QF | 1R | QF | 2R | 1R | SF | 1R | SF | 2R | 2R | 1R | 2R | 2R |
| 8 | Penn State (0) | 1R | 1R | SF | SF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | F | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | 2R | 2R | SF | 2R | 2R | 2R | QF | F | 2R |
| 11 | Northwestern (0) | 1R | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | QF | 2R | 2R | SF | 2R | 1R | 1R | 1R | 2R | QF | QF |
| 11 | Nebraska (0) | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | QF | 1R | QF | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | 1R | SF |
| 11 | Maryland (0) | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | SF | SF | QF | 2R | 2R | QF | QF | 2R | QF | 2R |
| 11 | Rutgers (0) | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1R | 1R | 2R | QF | 1R | 2R | QF | QF | QF | 1R |
| Teams (# of titles) | 2025 | |
| B1G (26) | (15) | |
| 1 | Michigan State (6) | SF |
| 2 | Ohio State (5) | 1R |
| 3 | Illinois (4) | QF |
| 4 | Michigan (3) | C |
| 4 | Wisconsin (3) | F |
| 4 | Iowa (3) | 2R |
| 7 | Purdue (2) | QF |
| 8 | Indiana (0) | 2R |
| 8 | Minnesota (0) | 1R |
| 8 | Penn State (0) | • |
| 11 | Northwestern (0) | 2R |
| 11 | Nebraska (0) | • |
| 11 | Maryland (0) | SF |
| 11 | Rutgers (0) | 1R |
| 11 | Washington (0) | • |
| 11 | Oregon (0) | QF |
| 11 | UCLA (0) | QF |
| 11 | USC (0) | 2R |
Key
| C | Champion |
| F | Runner-up |
| SF | Semifinals |
| QF | Quarterfinals |
| RR | Round Number |
| • | Did not participate |
*The 2020 tournament was canceled after the first-round games due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
| Seed | Record | Winning pct | Championships | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43–17 | .717 | 10 | 3 |
| 2 | 35–17[note 2] | .673 | 8* | 2 |
| 3 | 30–23[note 2] | .566 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 16–26[note 1] | .381 | 0* | 4 |
| 5 | 30–25 | .545 | 2 | 4 |
| 6 | 34–25[note 3] | .576 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | 21–27 | .438 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 24–25[note 3] | .490 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | 12–27 | .308 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | 15–26[note 1] | .366 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | 13–27 | .325 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | 6–13 | .316 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | 10–11 | .476 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | 5–11 | .313 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | 1–1 | .500 | 0 | 0 |
* Does not include vacated wins by Michigan (1998) and Ohio State (2002)
through 2025 tournament[14]
| Coach | School | Record | Winning pct. | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thad Matta | Ohio State | 23–9 | .719 | 4 |
| Micah Shrewsberry | Penn State | 5–2 | .714 | 0 |
| Bill Self | Illinois | 5–2 | .714 | 1 |
| Steve Alford | Iowa | 13–6 | .684 | 2 |
| John Beilein | Michigan | 21–10 | .677 | 2 |
| Lon Kruger | Illinois | 6–3 | .667 | 0 |
| Tom Izzo | Michigan State | 36–21 | .632 | 6 |
| Brad Underwood | Illinois | 8–5 | .615 | 2 |
| Bo Ryan | Wisconsin | 17–11 | .607 | 3 |
| Bruce Weber | Illinois | 12–8 | .600 | 1 |
| Chris Holtmann | Ohio State | 7–5 | .583 | 0 |
| Greg Gard | Wisconsin | 11–9 | .550 | 0 |
| Mike Davis | Indiana | 7–6 | .538 | 0 |
| Tubby Smith | Minnesota | 7–6 | .538 | 0 |
| Matt Painter | Purdue | 18–17 | .514 | 2 |
| Richard Pitino | Minnesota | 7–7 | .500 | 0 |
| Fran McCaffery | Iowa | 10–13 | .435 | 1 |
| Tim Miles | Nebraska | 5–7 | .417 | 0 |
| Steve Pikiell | Rutgers | 5–8 | .385 | 0 |
| Pat Chambers | Penn State | 5–8 | .385 | 0 |
| Ed DeChellis | Penn State | 5–8 | .385 | 0 |
| Chris Collins | Northwestern | 5–12 | .294 | 0 |
| Bill Carmody | Northwestern | 5–13 | .278 | 0 |
Note:Current coaches at school in bold. Minimum of five wins.[14]