We’re in the final week of regular-season Big Ten men’s basketball, and the seeding for the upcoming conference tournament is taking shape.
The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines have already clinched the conference’s regular-season title and the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, giving them a triple-bye in their quest for a second straight tournament victory. Three more teams will earn triple-byes in the single-elimination tournament, with six teams jockeying for those three positions.
But it has still yet to be determined which teams will emerge with a top-four seed.
Watch Big Ten Conference Tournament on Peacock
No. 8 Michigan State and No. 9 Nebraska, tied for second at 14-4 in the conference as of Monday, March 2, are currently in the best positions to land a top-four seed at 99% and 95%, respectively, according to PlayoffStatus.com. Below them is No. 11 Illinois with a 91% chance, Wisconsin with an 8% chance and No. 14 Purdue with a 6% chance.
UCLA, currently in seventh place at 11-7 in the conference, is not technically eliminated from a top-four seed due to a series of tiebreakers, but has less than a 1% chance of landing in that position.
With two regular-season games left to go for each Big Ten team, here’s an update on where things stand for conference tournament seeding.
Big Ten tournament format
The Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will use a new, 18-team single-elimination bracket for the 2026 edition.
All 18 Big Ten teams will be invited to the conference tournament, with the No. 15-18 seeds playing on March 10 in the first round. The No. 9-14 seeds all get a bye and will play on March 11, a four-game day, while the No. 5-8 seeds get a double-bye and will play on March 12, another four-game day. The winner of those games advance to the fourth round on March 13, where the No. 1-4 seeds, who get a triple-bye, await.
The semifinal games will take place on March 14 and will air on CBS, followed by the final on March 15 in its usual Sunday-afternoon slot as the final game on CBS before the NCAA reveal. That’s 17 total games over six days to determine a conference champion.
Big Ten standings
Here is how the seeding would shake out if the season ended today.
Big Ten tournament tiebreakers for seeding
In case of a tie in the regular-season standings, the Big Ten uses the following four tiebreakers in situations with two or more than two tied teams.
Big Ten tournament location
Big Ten tournament channel
The Big Ten tournament will air on multiple channels and streaming platforms, most predominantly on the Big Ten Network.
Games on the Big Ten Network and CBS can be streamed on Fubo, which carries both channels.
Watch Big Ten Tournament on Fubo
Michigan basketball remaining schedule
Michigan State basketball remaining schedule
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Big Ten men’s basketball tournament updates, one week left in regular season
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
