Kristian Ferrell
The Big Ten basketball tournament is an annual event that showcases the top men's and women's college basketball teams from the Big Ten Conference. In 2018, the tournament was held a week earlier than usual due to the booking of Madison Square Garden in New York, which created a condensed schedule that some criticised as unhealthy. The tournament typically takes place in March, with the men's and women's tournaments scheduled for separate weeks. The 2024 season will be the first with an 18-school entity, with each school playing a 20-game schedule, facing 14 teams once and three teams twice. The Big Ten tournament is highly anticipated, with coaches strategising and media outlets providing in-depth analysis and predictions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for early start | To be played in Madison Square Garden |
| Number of schools | 18 |
| Number of games | 20 |
| Number of opponents for each school | 17 |
| Opponents played once | 14 |
| Opponents played twice | 3 |
| Selection criteria for double-play opponents | Rivalry status, geography, and national prominence |
| Travel arrangements for East and Central time-zone schools | One trip to the West Coast to play 2 games over 4 days |
| Travel arrangements for West Coast teams traveling east | 3 single-play trips include back-to-back games within close proximity |
| Notable women's basketball games | UCLA at Indiana, Jan. 4, 2024; Ohio State at UCLA, Feb. 5, 2024; USC at UCLA, March 1, 2024 |
| Men's tournament dates | March 12-16, 2024 |
| Women's tournament dates | March 5-9, 2024 |
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What You'll Learn
The Big Ten tournament is played a week early to secure Madison Square Garden as a venue
The Big Ten basketball tournament is a highly anticipated event in the sports calendar, and in 2018, it kicked off a week earlier than usual. This change was made to secure Madison Square Garden as the venue.
The decision to bring the tournament to New York was an ambitious move by the Big Ten, marking the first time the men's basketball tournament would be held at the iconic Madison Square Garden. This choice of venue, however, came with a challenge. The Big East had a deal with Madison Square Garden through 2026, and they were scheduled to use the arena during the traditional time of power-conference tournaments. As a result, the Big Ten had to adjust their schedule and play the tournament a week earlier.
This schedule change had consequences, and it meant that the Big Ten had to play a condensed tournament schedule. League Commissioner Jim Delany acknowledged the challenges, stating that the condensed schedule "wasn't healthy." Despite this, the allure of hosting the tournament in the world-renowned Madison Square Garden seemed to outweigh the drawbacks of an earlier start date.
The 2018 Big Ten basketball tournament, with its early start and prestigious venue, set a unique tone for the event. It marked a departure from the previous versions held in Chicago and Indianapolis, showcasing the league's eastward expansion and ambition. While the schedule change presented logistical hurdles, it also underscored the importance of securing a sought-after venue like Madison Square Garden, even if it meant deviating from the traditional tournament timeline.
The 2018 tournament also highlighted the complex dynamics of venue availability and scheduling in competitive sports. With multiple leagues and tournaments vying for prime venues and dates, sometimes adjustments need to be made, as evidenced by the Big Ten's decision to play a week early. This earlier start allowed them to secure a highly desirable venue, even if it meant navigating a condensed schedule and breaking away from the traditional tournament timeframe.
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The 2024 season will be the first with an 18-school entity
The Big Ten basketball tournament has traditionally been held in Chicago or Indianapolis. However, in 2014, the Big Ten announced its intention to play the 2018 men's basketball tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York, a week earlier than usual. This was done to secure the world's most famous arena, as the Big East had a deal with the venue through 2026, and the ACC was already booked for Brooklyn and the Barclays Center.
The Big Ten's decision to play the tournament early had consequences, with a condensed schedule that league commissioner Jim Delany described as "unhealthy." This trend continued into 2018, with the tournament taking place a week early once again.
Now, in 2024, the Big Ten has unveiled its men's and women's basketball schedules for the first time as an 18-school entity. The league will maintain a 20-game schedule for men's basketball, with each school playing 14 teams once and three teams twice. The three double-play opponents for each team will be selected based on factors such as rivalry status, geography, and national prominence.
To accommodate the addition of four West Coast schools, travel considerations have been made. Each Eastern and Central time-zone school will take one trip to the West Coast, playing two games over four days. They will play either Oregon and Washington or USC and UCLA. West Coast teams traveling east will have back-to-back games within close proximity on three of their single-play trips.
The Big Ten tournaments for the 2024 season will both take place in Indianapolis, with the top 15 teams qualifying. The men's tournament is scheduled for March 12-16, while the women's tournament will be held from March 5-9.
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The league maintains a 20-game schedule for men's basketball
The Big Ten basketball tournament is known to start early, and in 2018, it was held a week earlier than usual. This was because the tournament was played at Madison Square Garden in New York, which was booked by the Big East the following week, the traditional time for power-conference tournaments. The ACC also had bookings in Brooklyn the same week. This resulted in a condensed schedule that league commissioner Jim Delany described as "unhealthy."
The Big Ten basketball tournament for 2024 was announced in May 2024, with the men's tournament slated for March 12-16 and the women's tournament for March 5-9. The league maintains a 20-game schedule for men's basketball, with each school playing 14 teams once and three teams twice. The three double-play opponents for each team are chosen based on rivalry status, geography, and national prominence. For example, UCLA and Ohio State are double-play opponents as they are two of the top-performing teams, featuring some of the nation's top players.
The inclusion of four West Coast schools in the league has also influenced the scheduling. To ease travel, West Coast trips are organised so that each school plays two games over four days, with back-to-back games scheduled for the single-play trips to the East Coast. This ensures a logical structure to the schedule, although it has been noted that an imbalance could occur if one former Pac-12 school performs significantly better than the others.
The 20-game schedule also takes into account the strength of each team, with Purdue, for instance, having a backloaded schedule, facing challengers Indiana and Michigan twice, but not playing a top 25 team until Game 10. Michigan State and Indiana also have backloaded schedules, which can be advantageous for teams looking to build momentum and integrate new players.
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The 2017-18 season started in December
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. The conference season, however, started on December 1, 2017, and concluded on February 25, 2018. This was because the Big Ten tournament was held at Madison Square Garden in New York, and the venue was reserved by the Big East for their tournament the following week, which is usually when power-conference tournaments take place.
The early start to the tournament was met with some criticism. Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany described the condensed schedule as "not healthy". Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo also expressed his displeasure, stating that it disrupted the habits of the players and staff. Despite the challenges, the coaches understood the reasons behind the decision. Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon acknowledged that it was a collective decision and that it presented a set of difficulties.
The 2017-18 season was a notable one for the Big Ten Conference. On January 9, 2018, Keita Bates-Diop of Ohio State was recognised as the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week by the United States Basketball Writers Association. On February 26, Carsen Edwards of Purdue was named NCAA.com National Player of the Week. The season also marked the last time the conference played an 18-game conference schedule, as the following season transitioned to a 20-game conference schedule.
The Big Ten tournament, which took place from February 28 to March 4, 2018, saw Michigan defeat Purdue to win its second consecutive tournament. Michigan State clinched the outright Big Ten championship with a win over Wisconsin on February 25, 2018.
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The 2025 season schedule
The 2025 Big Ten men's basketball tournament schedule was announced in March 2025. The tournament took place in Indianapolis, with all 14 games broadcast live. The first-round games were aired on Peacock, while the second and quarterfinal rounds were shown on the Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports app. The semifinal and championship games were televised live on CBS and the Paramount+ app.
The tournament began on Wednesday, March 12, and concluded on Sunday, March 16. The Michigan Wolverines won the tournament, beating Wisconsin in the championship game. This was Michigan's third-ever title and first since 2018.
Game 1: No.13 Northwestern 72, No.12 Minnesota 64
Game 2: No.15 Iowa 77, No.10 Ohio State 70
Game 3: No.14 USC 97, No.11 Rutgers 89
Game 4: No.8 Oregon 72, No.9 Indiana 59
Game 5: No.5 Wisconsin 70, No.13 Northwestern 63
Game 6: No.7 Illinois 106, No.15 Iowa 94
Game 7: No.6 Purdue 76, No.14 USC 71
Game 8: No.1 Michigan State 74, No.8 Oregon 64
Game 9: No.5 Wisconsin 86, No.4 UCLA 79
The women's tournament took place from March 5-9, with Purdue attempting to build momentum to win a third straight conference title.
The Big Ten men's basketball schedule for the 2024 season was released in September 2024. The league maintained a 20-game schedule, with each school playing 14 teams once and three teams twice. The opponents for each team were chosen based on factors such as rivalry status, geography, and national prominence. The schedules took into account the addition of four West Coast schools to the league, with each school making four trips to the East Coast.
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Frequently asked questions
The Big Ten basketball tournament starts early because it is held in Madison Square Garden, New York. The Big East has a deal with the venue through 2026, and the ACC heads to Brooklyn and Barclays Center, so the Big Ten has to play a week earlier.
The Big Ten basketball tournament usually starts in early March. In 2018, it started a week early, commencing on a Wednesday and concluding on the Sunday.
The Big Ten basketball tournament takes place annually.
The top 15 teams qualify for the Big Ten basketball tournament.
