Big Ten Tournament Bracket 2026: Quarterfinals Set for Today in Chicago — Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan State Await
The 2026 Big Ten Tournament bracket is down to eight teams after a dramatic Thursday of third-round action at the United Center in Chicago. Ohio State pulled off the biggest result of the day, edging Iowa 72-69 to earn a quarterfinal date with top-seeded Michigan. Friday's four quarterfinals are all on the Big Ten Network, with the semifinals Saturday on CBS.
Big Ten Tournament Bracket: Thursday Third-Round Results
Ohio State defeated Iowa 72-69 in Game 7, and Wisconsin defeated Washington in Game 8. Purdue faces Northwestern in Game 9 at 6:30 PM ET, and UCLA battles Rutgers in Game 10 following Game 9.
Indiana became the story of Wednesday's second-round action for all the wrong reasons. The 10th-seeded Hoosiers were blasted 74-61 by No. 15 seed Northwestern — Indiana's seventh straight loss to the Wildcats — all but sealing Indiana's fate as an NCAA Tournament bubble casualty before Selection Sunday.
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| Game 7: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Iowa | Ohio State 72, Iowa 69 ✅ |
| Game 8: No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Washington | Wisconsin 85, Washington 82 ✅ |
| Game 9: No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 15 Northwestern | In progress |
| Game 10: No. 6 UCLA vs. No. 14 Rutgers | Tonight |
Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals Schedule: Friday, March 13
All four quarterfinals tip off Friday at the United Center in Chicago on the Big Ten Network. Game 11 features No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 8 Ohio State at 11:00 AM ET. Game 12 pits No. 4 Illinois against the Wisconsin-Washington winner, beginning 25 minutes after Game 11. Game 13 sends No. 2 Nebraska against the Purdue-Northwestern winner at 5:30 PM ET. Game 14 has No. 3 Michigan State facing the UCLA-Rutgers winner 25 minutes after Game 13.
| Game | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 11 | No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 8 Ohio State | 11:00 AM | Big Ten Network |
| Game 12 | No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 5 Wisconsin | ~12:00 PM | Big Ten Network |
| Game 13 | No. 2 Nebraska vs. TBD | 5:30 PM | Big Ten Network |
| Game 14 | No. 3 Michigan State vs. TBD | ~6:30 PM | Big Ten Network |
Michigan vs Ohio State: The Marquee Quarterfinal
The 2026 Big Ten tournament bracket is moving into the quarterfinal stage, and Michigan now knows its first opponent: Ohio State. The Buckeyes beat Iowa 72-69 on Thursday in the third round, setting up a Friday noon ET matchup with top-seeded Michigan at the United Center in Chicago.
Michigan is the defending Big Ten Tournament champion, having beaten Wisconsin in the 2025 championship game. The Wolverines are the No. 1 overall seed and one of the heavy favorites to reach Sunday's final.
Big Ten Tournament Semifinals and Championship Game
The semifinals are Saturday, March 14, with Game 15 at Noon on CBS and Game 16 25 minutes after Game 15 also on CBS. The championship game tips Sunday, March 15, at 2:30 PM ET — the last game played before the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on Selection Sunday.
The Big Ten Tournament champion secures an automatic bid into the 68-team field for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. On the bubble, Iowa, Indiana, and Washington all needed wins Thursday to strengthen their cases before Selection Sunday — Iowa won, Washington lost, Indiana already fell earlier in the week.
Where to Watch Big Ten Tournament 2026
The Big Ten Tournament is broadcast on the Big Ten Network for Thursday and Friday rounds, with the semifinals and championship moving to CBS for maximum national exposure. Live streaming is available on fuboTV and the CBS Sports App. All games are played at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
