
The Big Ten Conference is one of the oldest in the nation, predating the founding of the NCAA by a decade. It was also one of the first collegiate conferences to sponsor men's basketball. The Big Ten men's basketball tournament has been held annually, with the No. 1 seed winning the tournament ten times, the most of any seed. The tournament has faced various rulings and sanctions, leading to vacated or voided results. In 2022, the Big Ten ended its long-standing association with ESPN, signing broadcast rights deals with Fox, CBS, and NBC Sports. The conference includes prominent basketball teams such as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin, with intense competitions and upsets occurring throughout the years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Tournament dates | 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Tournament locations | Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis |
| Teams | Michigan, Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Central Michigan, Maryland, Rutgers, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan State |
| Broadcasters | ESPN, Fox, CBS, NBC Sports |
| Tournament results issues | Various results have been vacated or voided due to rulings and sanctions against participating teams |
| Notable results | Michigan won as a No. 8 seed in 2017; Iowa made the second-largest comeback in 36 years in 2023 |
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What You'll Learn

The Big Ten men's basketball tournament
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. In 2011, it was announced that the tournament would revert to alternating between the two cities, and this pattern continued until 2022. The 2021 tournament was moved from Chicago to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Minneapolis hosted the tournament for the first time in 2024.
The No. 1 seed has won the tournament ten times, the most of any seed. The lowest seed to win was Michigan as an 8th seed in 2017. Three schools have won consecutive championships: Michigan State in 1999 and 2000, Ohio State in 2010 and 2011, and Michigan in 2017 and 2018.
Due to various rulings against participating programs, some results have been vacated or voided. For example, the NCAA vacated the records for the Michigan team from the 1995-96 season through the 1998-99 season due to the Ed Martin scandal. This included their 1998 championship win. Similarly, the NCAA has vacated most records for the Ohio State team from the 1998-99 season through the 2001-02 season, including their 1999, 2001, and 2002 tournament appearances.
In 2022, the Big Ten announced seven-year broadcast rights deals with Fox, CBS, and NBC Sports, ending its long-standing association with ESPN. The new contracts, worth at least $7 billion, aim to establish specific broadcast windows for Big Ten football games across the three networks.
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The end of ESPN's coverage
The Big Ten Conference is one of the oldest in the nation, predating the founding of the NCAA by a decade. It was also one of the first collegiate conferences to sponsor men's basketball. The conference has a rich history of competitive basketball, with several schools having achieved notable successes and setbacks over the years.
ESPN's involvement with the Big Ten dates back to the 1980s. In 2016, a significant media rights deal was struck between the conference and ESPN, Fox Sports, and CBS Sports. This deal, worth $2.64 billion, lasted for six years, from the 2017-18 season until the 2022-23 season. ESPN shared the rights to the first three rounds of the Big Ten men's basketball tournament with the Big Ten Network during this time.
However, in August 2022, the Big Ten announced new seven-year broadcast rights deals with Fox, CBS, and NBC Sports, marking the end of ESPN's coverage. These new deals, worth at least $7 billion, aimed to establish dedicated broadcast windows for football games across the three partner networks. While Fox, CBS, and NBC primarily hold the rights to different time slots, they also alternate the first pick of games.
While ESPN's coverage of the Big Ten may have concluded, the conference continues to thrive and evolve, with competitive basketball and football programs. The Big Ten's new media rights deals also showcase the ongoing value and appeal of the conference to broadcasters and sports fans alike.
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The 2017 tournament
The 2017 Big Ten men's basketball tournament was held from March 8 to March 12, 2017, at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. This marked the first time a Big Ten men's basketball tournament was held outside the Midwest, the conference's traditional heartland. All 14 Big Ten schools participated, with teams seeded by conference record and a tiebreaker system used for teams with identical records. The top 10 teams received a first-round bye, while the top four teams received a double bye.
Michigan won the championship, defeating Wisconsin in the final. This was Michigan's first championship (after their win in the inaugural tournament was vacated) and they became the lowest-seeded team to win the tournament. As a result, Michigan received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2017–18 Big Ten men's basketball season began with practices in October 2017, followed by the start of the NCAA Division I men's basketball season in November. Four Big Ten schools (Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Purdue) were invited to the NCAA tournament, with Michigan finishing as the National Runner-up, losing to Villanova in the championship game.
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Vacated and voided results
Due to various rulings against participating programs, some of the results of the Big Ten tournament have been vacated or voided. The NCAA has vacated results and records of the tournament since its inception due to sanctions imposed on teams.
The Minnesota academic scandal resulted in the NCAA vacating the Minnesota basketball team's postseason tournament records from the 1993-94 season through the 1998-99 season. In the 1998 tournament, Minnesota had a record of 2-1 and went 0-1 in 1999.
The Ed Martin scandal led to the NCAA vacating the records for the Michigan basketball team from the 1995-96 season through the 1998-99 season. This included the 1998 and 1999 Big Ten tournaments, where Michigan had won the championship in 1998 with a 3-0 record and had a 1-1 record in 1999.
The NCAA has also vacated most NCAA records for the Ohio State basketball team from the 1998-99 season through the 2001-02 season. This included the 1999, 2001, and 2002 Big Ten tournaments, where Ohio State had a 1-1 record in 1999, went 0-1 in 2001, and won the championship in 2002.
Due to NCAA sanctions, Michigan has vacated records from several seasons, including the 1992 Final Four and the 1995-96, 1997-98, and 1998-99 seasons. Similarly, due to NCAA sanctions, Ohio State has vacated records from the 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, and 2001-02 seasons. Minnesota has also vacated records from the 1993-94 through 1998-99 seasons due to sanctions.
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The 2024 edition
The Big Ten Conference is one of the oldest in the nation, predating the founding of the NCAA by a decade. The 2024 edition of the Big Ten men's basketball tournament will be held in Minneapolis at the Target Center for the first time. The tournament has traditionally been held at the United Center in Chicago or Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with the 2023 edition taking place in Chicago.
The Big Ten Conference includes championship competition in 14 men's and 14 women's NCAA-sanctioned sports. The men's basketball tournament has seen various rulings against participating programs, resulting in vacated or voided results. The 2024 tournament will be the first under a new seven-year broadcast rights deal with Fox, CBS, and NBC Sports, ending a long-standing association with ESPN.
In the lead-up to the 2024 tournament, several teams have experienced notable performances. Illinois, a pre-season favorite, was outscored by Northwestern, who had a poor record in the past five years. Iowa made a stunning comeback against Indiana, with Kris Murray leading the conference in scoring. Purdue, ranked No. 1, lost to Rutgers, and Indiana faced injuries to two starters.
The 2024 Big Ten men's basketball tournament promises to be an exciting event, with the new broadcast deals adding to the anticipation. The tournament will feature intense competition and showcase the talent and hard work of the participating teams.
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Frequently asked questions
The Big Ten Conference is one of the oldest collegiate conferences in the US, predating the founding of the NCAA by a decade. It was also one of the first conferences to sponsor men's basketball.
The 2023 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament saw some unexpected results, with Northwestern outscoring Illinois 24-4 in a second-half surge, and Iowa making a stunning comeback against Indiana.
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament has had its share of memorable moments and controversies. In 2017, Michigan won the tournament as a No. 8 seed, the lowest seed to ever do so. However, due to various rulings and scandals, the NCAA has vacated or voided some results and records from the tournament, including those of Michigan, Ohio State, and Minnesota.











































