Big 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.
When it comes to March college basketball, few conference tournaments command the same level of attention as the Big Ten — and with the championship game strategically positioned as the final major contest before Selection Sunday's bracket unveiling, the stakes couldn't be higher for every program involved.
The 2026 edition of the Big Ten tournament stands as the most expansive in the event's history, fielding all 18 member institutions in a bid for conference supremacy. Michigan, having established itself as the dominant force throughout a grueling regular season, arrives at Chicago's United Center as the defending champion and the program to beat in what promises to be an intensely competitive field.
While top seeds enter the tournament with NCAA positioning already secured, the event carries enormous strategic weight for programs on the tournament bubble — some fighting to punch their ticket to the Big Dance for the first time, others maneuvering to improve bracket seeding and secure favorable first-round matchups in the national tournament.
Here's everything you need to know to follow every game of the 2026 Big Ten tournament from tip-off through the championship.
Where to watch Big Ten men's basketball tournament
- TV Channels: Big Ten Network, CBS
- Live Streams: DIRECTV, Peacock, Paramount+
Coverage of the 2026 Big Ten Tournament is distributed across three broadcast and streaming platforms, reflecting the conference's expansive media rights portfolio. Opening-round action — specifically the first four contests — will stream exclusively on Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming platform. The Big Ten Network assumes primary broadcast responsibilities for the bulk of the tournament's mid-round games, before CBS steps in to carry the marquee semifinal and championship matchups — with veteran broadcast team Ian Eagle, Grant Hill, and Bill Rafferty on the call for those high-profile telecasts.
Cord-cutters and streaming-first viewers can access BTN and CBS coverage through DIRECTV, while Paramount+ subscribers will have dedicated access to Saturday's semifinals and Sunday's title game.
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Big Ten men's basketball tournament schedule 2026
- Dates: Tuesday, March 10 - Sunday, March 15
- Location: United Center in Chicago
Chicago's United Center serves as the venue for this year's conference championship, hosting all 18 participating programs across a six-day window. The tournament's format rewards regular-season excellence — the four highest-seeded programs receive byes deep into the bracket, while the four lowest seeds must survive an opening-round contest on Tuesday just to reach the main draw.
Tuesday, March 10: First round
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel/Live stream |
| Game 1: No. 17 Maryland 70, No. 16 Oregon 50 | — | — |
| Game 2: No. 15 Northwestern 76, No. 18 Penn State 66 | — | — |
Wednesday, March 11: Second round
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel/Live stream |
| Game 3: No. 9 Iowa 75, No. 17 Maryland 64 | — | — |
| Game 4: No. 12 Washington 83, No. 13 USC 79 (OT) | — | — |
| Game 5: No. 15 Northwestern 74, No. 10 Indiana 61 | — | — |
| 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
Tournament seeding is derived exclusively from each program's conference-only win-loss record — non-conference results carry no weight in the standings calculation. The complete seeding hierarchy and bracket composition for the 2026 field are listed below, providing a clear picture of the competitive landscape heading into championship week.
| 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) |