Big Ten basketball tournamentDaniel ChavkinThu, March 12, 2026 at 2:01 AM UTC·4 min readBig Ten tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, channels, scores for 2026 men's basketball championships originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Big Ten tournament is always a must-watch event in March, especially considering the championship game is the last game before the bracket reveal.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis year's Big Ten tournament is the biggest yet, with all 18 teams set to battle for the conference crown. After a fierce regular season where Michigan separated itself above the rest, the Wolverines are prepared to defend their title in Chicago.
For some teams, this tournament is a chance to prove they belong in the NCAA tournament, while others are simply trying to improve their seeding.
Here's how fans can watch the 2026 Big Ten tournament.
Where to watch Big Ten men's basketball tournament
TV Channels: Big Ten Network, CBS
Live Streams: DIRECTV, Peacock, Paramount+
The Big Ten Tournament will be broadcast on three different networks (see the full schedule below). The first four games can be seen on Peacock, while the bulk of the tournament will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Finally, the semifinals and final will be on CBS, with Ian Eagle, Grant Hill and Bill Rafferty on the call.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLive streams of the BTN and CBS games are available via DIRECTV, and Paramount+ also will have the semifinals and final.
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Big Ten men's basketball tournament schedule 2026
Dates: Tuesday, March 10 - Sunday, March 15
Location: United Center in Chicago
This year's Big Ten tournament will take place at the United Center in Chicago. All 18 teams will participate, with the worst four teams playing on Tuesday while the best four teams won't play until Friday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTuesday, March 10: First round
Game
Time (ET)
TV channel/Live stream
Game 1: No. 17 Maryland 70, No. 16 Oregon 50
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Game 2: No. 15 Northwestern 76, No. 18 Penn State 66
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Wednesday, March 11: Second round
Game
Time (ET)
TV channel/Live stream
Game 3: No. 9 Iowa 75, No. 17 Maryland 64
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—
Game 4: No. 12 Washington 83, No. 13 USC 79 (OT)
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Game 5: No. 15 Northwestern 74, No. 10 Indiana 61
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Game 6: No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 14 Rutgers
9 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Thursday, March 12: Third round
Game
Time (ET)
TV channel/Live stream
Game 7: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Iowa
12 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Game 8: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Washington
2:30 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Game 9: No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 15 Northwestern
6:30 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Game 10: No. 6 UCLA vs. Game 6 winner
9 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Friday, March 13: Quarterfinals
Game
Time (ET)
TV channel/Live stream
Game 11: No. 1 Michigan vs. Game 7 winner
12 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Game 12: No. 4 Illinois vs. Game 8 winner
2:30 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Game 13: No. 2 Nebraska vs. Game 9 winner
6:30 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Game 14: No. 3 Michigan State vs. Game 10 winner
9 p.m.
BTN, DIRECTV
Saturday, March 14: Semifinals
Game
Time (ET)
TV channel/Live stream
Game 15: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner
1 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+, DIRECTV
Game 16: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner
3:30 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+, DIRECTV
Sunday March 15: Championship
Game
Time (ET)
TV channel/Live stream
Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner
3:30 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+, DIRECTV
Big Ten tournament bracket 2026
Seeding for the Big Ten tournament is determined by the Big Ten standings, which don't include non-conference games. The final seedings and bracket are as follows, with the full game schedule below.
Seed
Team
Record (Big Ten)
1.
Michigan
29-2 (19-1)
2.
Nebraska
26-5 (15-5)
3.
Michigan State
25-6 (15-5)
4.
Illinois
24-7 (15-5)
5.
Wisconsin
22-9 (14-6)
6.
UCLA
21-10 (13-7)
7.
Purdue
23-8 (13-7)
8.
Ohio State
20-11 (12-8)
9.
Iowa
20-11 (10-10)
10.
Indiana
18-13 (9-11)
11.
Minnesota
15-16 (8-12)
12.
Washington
15-16 (7-13)
13.
USC
18-13 (7-13)
14.
Rutgers
13-18 (6-14)
15.
Northwestern
13-18 (5-15)
16.
Oregon
12-19 (5-15)
17.
Maryland
11-20 (4-16)
18.
Penn State
12-19 (3-17)
Related Links
Latest college basketball news
Full men's college basketball schedule 2025-26
Updated men’s conference standings
