If you were looking to get in some Big Ten Tournament bracketology this year, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.
The Big Ten is ending its conference tournament qualifying cutoff after just one season, as noted on the Big Ten Network’s conference schedule reveal show this past week. This change will only go into effect for the men’s tournament, with the women’s tournament remaining at 15 teams.
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The conference opted to cut off the bottom three teams in the final league standings from tournament play starting last season with the arrival of UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington, which made the Big Ten an 18-team league. The logistical challenges presented by an 18-team tournament were obvious.
The new rule led to Nebraska, Penn State and Washington missing out on tournament play last season after finishing at 16th, 17th and 18th in the conference standings. Nittany Lions head coach Mike Rhoades was vocal in his opposition to the rule prior to Penn State’s official elimination:
The 2026 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will be played from March 10-15 at the United Center in Chicago. The 15-18 seeds will play a pair of games that Tuesday to begin the event.
