The 2026 Big Ten tournament is here! And this edition is bigger, bolder and longer than ever before, so we have no choice but to dive straight in to the schedule and predictions.
With so many games to cover, there is no room for any preamble.
2026 Big Ten Tournament Predictions
Tuesday, March 10 (1st Round)
Game 1 (#17 Maryland vs. #16 Oregon) – 4 p.m. CT (Peacock)
Majorly disappointing season for both sides, it ends early for the Ducks here. Terps fight on another day, winning 73-67
Actual result: Maryland won 70-60
Game 2 (#18 Penn State vs. #15 Northwestern) – 25 minutes following Game 1 (Peacock)
The Nick Martinelli era continues for at least one more day, as the Cats triumph 81-69
Actual result: Northwestern won 76-66
Wednesday, March 11 (Second Round)
Game 3 (#9 Iowa vs. Maryland) – 11 a.m. CT (Peacock)
Bennett Stirtz is a joy to watch, and first year head Ben McCollum is rising star within the coaching ranks. Hawkeyes cruise 83-62
Actual result: Iowa won 75-64
Game 4 (#12 Washington vs. #13 USC) – 25 minutes following Game 3 (Peacock)
Trojans are certainly the more captivating and interesting team in this matchup. They’ll be the better one too! University of Spoiled Children emerge victorious 79-71
Actual result: Washington won 83-79 in OT
Game 5 (#10 Indiana vs Northwestern) – 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)
NU won the only meeting, in Bloomington no less, but IU is playing for their postseason lives right now. Hoosiers exact revenge, and the Cats season comes to an end. And with that, you can start looking forward to football season.
There will be fancy new digs, as Ryan Field II opens up, and a splash hire at Offensive Coordinator in Chip Kelly. So there is a lot to be excited about, on the gridiron, in Evanston.
IU wins 75-64
Actual result: Northwestern won 74-61
Game 6 (#11 Minnesota vs. #14 Rutgers) – 25 minutes following Game 5 (BTN)
This would be the typical “coaches his last game before he gets fired” affair, which we see every year in the Big Ten Tournament early roundsm, but Rutgers won’t pull the trigger. They have already made that public, and to put it bluntly, well, they just don’t have the money right now to buy out Steve Pikiell.
Minnesota wins 79-51
Actual result: Rutgers won 72-67
Thursday, March 12 (Third Round)
Game 7 (#8 Ohio State vs. Iowa) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)
Bubbleyes? Buckeyes a bubble team after this loss? No, sorry Michigan fans. Ohio St. has already locked up a bid. Iowa wins 85-79
Actual result: Iowa won 72-69
Game 8 (#5 Wisconsin vs. USC) – 25 minutes following Game 7 (BTN)
The most all-or-nothing team in the Big Ten, Sconnie will either get bounced here, or win it all. USC gets prepped for the NIT/CBI/The Crown Wisconsin wins 73-60
Actual result: Wisconsin beat Washington 85-82
Game 9 (#7 Purdue vs. Indiana)– 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)
Crossroads Clasico! Yes, we get another edition of one of the best rivalries in all of college hoops. Boilers relish ruining the postseason prospects of their arch-rival. Purdue wins 76-71
Purdue beat Northwestern 81-68
Game 10 (#6 UCLA vs. Minnesota) – 25 minutes following Game 9 (BTN)
Dana Carvey in his Grumpy Old Man character voice: “In my day, we didn’t have a Wednesday session in the Big Ten Tournament. We certainly didn’t have a Tuesday night either! And that’s the way it was, and WE LIKED IT!”
Mick Cronin is the Big Ten’s real life version of that character, and he’ll complain about the late start time in the post game press conference. Or the travel involved. Or the officiating. Or all three, and more! Gophers win 64-59
Actual result: UCLA beat Rutgers 72-59
Friday, March 13 (Quarterfinals)
Game 11 (#1 Michigan vs. Iowa) – 11 a.m. CT (BTN)
Wolverines, along with Duke, are in a class by themselves this season. Michigan wins 83-74
Actual result: Michigan beat Ohio St. 71-67
Game 12 (#4 Illinois vs. Wisconsin) – 25 minutes following Game 11 (BTN)
Keaton Wagler has just not been himself lately- shooting only 26% from 3 and 35% from the field over the past five games. The conference tournament will hopefully be a chance for him to get right. Illinois will have the homecourt advantage, but this is a bad matchup for them.
Wisconsin wins 88-81
Actual result: Wisconsin won 91-88 in OT
Game 13 (#2 Nebraska vs. Purdue) – 5:30 p.m. CT (BTN)
The preseason national #1 starts to look like it here. Boilermakers win 84-80
Actual result: Purdue won 74-58
Game 14 (#3 Michigan State vs. Minnesota) – 25 minutes following Game 13 (BTN)
How is MSU ALWAYS in the Friday late night game in this tournament every single year? Do we really want to give that fanbase more time to “get festive”?
Michigan St. exacts revenge for that court-storming loss in Minneapolis earlier. Mich St. wins 69-60
Actual result: UCLA won 88-84
Saturday, March 14 (Semifinals)
Game 15 (Michigan vs. Wisconsin) – 12 p.m. CT (CBS)
UM really doesn’t need this conference tournament, at all. So ciao! Wisconsin wins 70-63
Actual result: Michigan won 68-65
Game 16 (Purdue vs. Michigan St. ) – 25 minutes following Game 15 (CBS)
Are we really picking against the team in green on St. Patrick’s Day weekend? No. MSU wins 71-64
Actual result: Purdue beat UCLA 73-66
Sunday, March 15 (Championship)
Game 14 (Wisconsin vs. MSU) – 2:30 p.m. CT (CBS)
Congratulations to Greg Gard and company. WIS wins 84-72
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.