Big Ten Conference teams have made a big splash during the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tournament. Regarded as the oldest NCAA Division I conference, the Big Ten features several collegiate heavyweights.
As March Madness gets ready for the Sweet 16 stage, we take a look at the number of Big Ten teams still in the hunt for the national title.
Which Big Ten Teams Are Still in the NCAA Tournament Hunt?
A total of nine teams from the Big Ten Conference entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament. With the 68 competing teams split into four regions, this is how the nine Big Ten Conference teams were placed:
- Michigan State, UCLA, and Ohio State – East Regional
- Purdue and Wisconsin – West Regional
- Illinois, Nebraska, and Iowa – South Regional
- Michigan – Midwest Regional
Going into the Sweet 16, three teams from the Big Ten Conference have been eliminated from the NCAA Men’s Tournament, but six teams still remain in the hunt to win the national title.
The UCLA Bruins were eliminated in the second round by the UConn Huskies, while the Ohio State Buckeyes were upset by the TCU Horned Frogs in the first round of the East Regional. The Wisconsin Badgers also lost in the first round, suffering a heartbreaking 83-82 upset at the hands of High Point.
Sweet 16 Schedule for Big Ten Teams
In the Sweet 16, the Michigan State Spartans will face the UConn Huskies (tip-off at 9:45 p.m. ET on Friday). The Nebraska Huskers will face fellow Big Ten team, the Iowa Hawkeyes, (tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday). The Illinois Fighting Illini will go up against the second-seeded Houston Cougars (tip-off at 10:05 p.m. ET on Thursday).
In the West Regional, the second-seeded Purdue Boilermakers will take on the Texas Longhorns, who have already upset BYU and Gonzaga en route to the Sweet 16. Tip-off is at 7:10 p.m. ET on Thursday.
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In the Midwest Regional, the top-seeded Michigan Wolverines will face the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. ET on Friday.
Michigan State remains the last Big Ten Conference team to win the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans’ last triumph came all the way back in 2000. Since then, a number of teams have come close but not been able to overcome the final hurdle.
Most notably, the Wolverines finished as the runner-up in 2013 and 2018, and Purdue reached the championship game in 2024.
But with six Big Ten teams still in contention to win the national title this year, that drought could well be about to end.
