Amanda Knapp
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is an annual college basketball tournament held at the end of the regular season. The winner of the tournament is crowned the Big Ten Tournament Champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Big Ten has historically comprised 14 teams, but in 2024, it expanded to 18 teams with the addition of UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington. This expansion prompted a reformat of the tournament structure, with some suggesting that not all teams should participate. The tournament has been held at neutral sites, primarily alternating between the United Center in Chicago and Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Annual |
| Participants | 15 out of 18 teams |
| Venues | Neutral sites; United Center, Chicago; Conseco Fieldhouse/Bankers Life Fieldhouse/Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis; Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis; Target Center, Minneapolis; T-Mobile Arena |
| Winner | Designated Big Ten Tournament Champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament |
| Past winners | Michigan State (1999, 2000, 2019), Illinois (2005), Ohio State (2007, 2010, 2011), Wisconsin (2015), Michigan (2017, 2018, 2019) |
| Dates | End of the men's college basketball regular season; typically immediately before the NCAA Tournament field is announced |
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Tournament seeding
The Big Ten men's basketball tournament is an annual event held at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since 1998, with the winner receiving the title of Big Ten Tournament Champion and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The seeding in the Big Ten Tournament is determined by the regular-season standings. The top teams in the regular-season conference standings receive a higher seed in the tournament. In recent years, the tournament has included between 14 and 18 teams, with the bottom teams from the regular season standings sometimes left out of the tournament.
For example, in 2024, the Big Ten expanded to 18 teams with the addition of UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington. Instead of including all 18 teams in the tournament, the bottom three teams from the regular-season standings were left out. The top 15 teams then competed in a tournament that was similar to the format used when only 14 teams were included. This format included a third first-round game, which was the 9 vs. 10 seed matchup.
The seeding and format of the Big Ten Tournament can vary depending on the number of teams included and the decisions made by the league office. In some years, the top four teams may receive a double-bye, allowing them to skip the first two rounds of the tournament. In other years, there may be a set of play-in games before the standard bracket is determined.
The location of the Big Ten Tournament also rotates between different venues, with recent tournaments held in cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis. The tournament is typically held at neutral sites, and the choice of venue can impact the format and seeding of the tournament.
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Venue and dates
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since 1998. The first four tournaments were held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Beginning in 2002, the tournament alternated between the United Center and Conseco Fieldhouse (later known as Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and now as Gainbridge Fieldhouse) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
In 2008, the tournament began a five-year stay in Indianapolis. On June 5, 2011, the Big Ten announced that the tournament would revert to alternating between Indianapolis and Chicago. The 2013 and 2015 tournaments were played at the United Center in Chicago, and the 2014 and 2016 tournaments were played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The 2019 through 2022 Tournaments returned to this pattern of alternating between the two cities. On February 9, 2021, it was announced that the 2021 edition would be moved from its planned location of the United Center in Chicago to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis due to health and safety protocols relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in 2022 as planned before returning to Chicago in 2023.
On April 20, 2022, the Big Ten announced that Minneapolis would host the 2024 edition at the Target Center for the first time. On July 31, 2024, the Big Ten announced the Tournament locations from 2025 through 2028. The 2025 and 2027 editions will be held at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the 2026 edition will be held at the United Center, and the 2028 edition will be held at the T-Mobile Arena.
The 2025 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament will be held in Indianapolis, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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Past winners
The Big Ten men's basketball tournament has been held annually since 1998, except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winner of the tournament is designated the Big Ten Tournament Champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Michigan State has won the most Big Ten tournament titles with six wins in 1999, 2000, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019. In the 2025 tournament, Michigan beat Wisconsin to take home the title.
On seven occasions, the Big Ten tournament champion has gone on to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. This includes Michigan State in 1999, 2000, and 2019; Illinois in 2005; Ohio State in 2007; Wisconsin in 2015; and Michigan in 2018. Notably, Michigan State also won the NCAA tournament in 2000.
The No. 1 seed has won the tournament ten times, the most of any seed. The lowest seed to win the tournament was Michigan as a No. 8 seed in 2017. Three schools have won consecutive championships: Michigan State (1999, 2000), Ohio State (2010, 2011), and Michigan (2017, 2018).
Due to various rulings against participating programs, some of the results of the Big Ten tournament have been vacated or voided. For instance, the NCAA vacated the records for the Michigan basketball team from the 1995-96 season through the 1998-99 season, including their 1998 championship win.
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Tournament expansion
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is an annual event held at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since 1998. The winner of the tournament is designated the Big Ten Tournament Champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The Big Ten has expanded to 18 teams with the additions of UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington. The expansion has led to a reformat of the tournament structure. The bottom three teams from the regular season standings will be excluded from the tournament, with only the top 15 teams participating. This has sparked some controversy, as some believe that all teams should have the opportunity to compete.
There are a couple of suggested ways to include all 18 teams in the tournament. One option is to preserve double-byes for the top four teams, and another is to introduce a pair of ""play-in" games before the standard bracket determines the rest of the tournament. This would result in a busy first day of the tournament, with six games taking place. This may require the use of a second venue or splitting the games over two days.
The tournament format and structure are subject to change as the Big Ten offices navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by the expansion to 18 teams. The expansion not only affects the tournament but also the regular season schedule, as more teams compete for a limited number of games and a chance to prove themselves.
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Vacated results
In American college athletics, a vacated victory is a win that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has stripped from a team, usually as a punishment for misconduct related to its sports teams. Vacated victories are different from forfeits, where the losing team is awarded the win. In the case of a vacated victory, the team being punished is stripped of its win, but the opposing team retains its loss.
The NCAA has been criticized for its use of vacated victories as a penalty, as it is seen as insufficiently preventative since schools can keep the money they earned from their vacated accomplishments, and fans still consider the on-field result to be "real". Additionally, some critics argue that the NCAA arbitrarily chooses which teams to punish and how severely to punish them.
In the Big Ten men's basketball tournament, several teams have had their victories vacated due to various rulings against participating programs. For example, due to the Minnesota academic scandal, the NCAA vacated the postseason tournament records for the Minnesota basketball team from the 1993–94 season through the 1998–99 season. Similarly, the NCAA vacated the records for the Michigan basketball team from the 1995–96 season through the 1998–99 season due to the Ed Martin scandal. Michigan had won the Tournament championship in 1998, but that victory was vacated as a result of the scandal.
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Frequently asked questions
The Big Ten men's basketball tournament is an annual college basketball tournament that has been played every year since 1998. The winner is designated the Big Ten Tournament Champion and receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The finals are typically held immediately before the NCAA Tournament field is announced.
The tournament has been held at neutral sites every year, alternating between the United Center in Chicago and Bankers Life Fieldhouse (now known as Gainbridge Fieldhouse) in Indianapolis, with Minneapolis hosting the tournament for the first time in 2024.
The Big Ten Tournament includes the top teams from the regular season standings, with the bottom teams left out. The number of teams has varied over the years, with 18 teams as the most recent expansion.
