March is officially here, and with it comes one of the most anticipated events in all of college basketball. The bracket for the 2026 Big Ten Tournament is officially set, and the action gets started on Tuesday, March 10 and runs through the championship game on Sunday, March 15.
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The Indiana Hoosiers enter the conference tournament with a lot to prove. Darian DeVries' squad is firmly on the tournament bubble, and they didn't do themselves any favors by losing five of their final six regular season games. With a lot to prove, the Hoosiers head to Chicago looking to put forth a solid performance to boost their tournament resume as much as possible before Selection Sunday.
How the Big Ten Tournament bracket works
The Big Ten is an 18-team league, and all 18 teams qualify for the conference tournament. The top four seeds earn a triple-bye to the quarterfinals, which means No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Michigan State, and No. 4 Illinois won't be in action until Friday, March 13. These teams will have to win three games in three days to be crowned Big Ten Tournament champions.
Seeds 5-8 earn a double bye, so No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 6 UCLA, No. 7 Purdue, and No. 8 Ohio State are off until Thursday, March 12 as they await to see who they will be matched up against.
Only the bottom four seeds will be in action on Tuesday, March 10 to open the tournament. No. 18 Penn State battles No. 15 Northwestern, and No. 16 Oregon takes on No. 17 Maryland. The winner of Oregon vs. Maryland will face No. 9 Iowa, while No. 13 USC battles No. 12 Washington and No. 11 Minnesota faces No. 14 Rutgers on Wednesday as well.
THE @B1GMBBall BRACKET IS SET 🍿
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 8, 2026
Who do you have winning it all this year? pic.twitter.com/bauGMsgrxc
Where Indiana falls in the Big Ten Tournament seeding
The Hoosiers enter the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 10 seed, and will face the winner of the Northwestern vs. Penn State game on Wednesday, March 11. Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET.
Arch rival and 7th-seeded Purdue awaits the winner of that contest for a matchup on Thursday, March 12. The winner of that game will then face No. 2 Nebraska on Friday, March 13 in the quarterfinals.
As the No. 10 seed, Indiana will have to win five games in five days to become Big Ten champs.
How Big Ten teams fit in the March Madness picture
Per Joe Lunardi's latest bracket projection, the Big Ten is slated to send nine total teams to March Madness. Teams that are essentially locks to make the 68-team field include Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan State, Illinois, Wisconsin, UCLA, Purdue, and Iowa.
As the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, Ohio State is a team that will likely be in. The Buckeyes' 91-78 victory over Indiana on Saturday night was a crushing loss for the Hoosiers and a much-needed resume boost for OSU.
Assuming the Buckeyes are safe, Indiana is really the only true NCAA Tournament bubble team in the Big Ten entering the conference tournament. The Hoosiers have dropped five of their last six games and suffered some lop-sided defeats in that stretch. They also fell at home to Northwestern, which really put DeVries and company behind the 8-ball when it comes to qualifying for the big dance.
However, the Hoosiers can still boost their tournament resume with a run in the Big Ten Tournament. Falling in their first game against either Northwestern or Penn State would be a brutal blow to their NCAA Tournament hopes. With plenty to prove, Hoosier fans are hoping the cream and crimson find some answers to their late-season woes and gain some momentum in The Windy City.