2026 Big Ten Basketball Tournament Bracket: Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State Advance — Quarterfinals Today in Chicago
The 2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is down to eight teams after a drama-filled Thursday at the United Center in Chicago. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Purdue, and the winner of UCLA vs. Rutgers all punched their tickets to Friday's quarterfinals. Northwestern — the Cinderella story of the tournament — pushed through to face Nebraska.
2026 Big Ten Tournament: Full Bracket Results So Far
Game 1: No. 17 Maryland 70, No. 16 Oregon 60. Game 5: No. 15 Northwestern 74, No. 10 Indiana 61. Game 6: No. 14 Rutgers 72, No. 11 Minnesota 67.
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 on the outside looking in on Selection Sunday.
Wisconsin took a 10-point lead into halftime against Washington, but the Huskies stormed back to get within one before the Badgers held on. John Blackwell led the way for Wisconsin with 34 points and 10 rebounds. Ohio State beat Iowa 72-69 to advance.
Purdue beat Northwestern 81 and advances to face No. 2 Nebraska in the quarterfinals at 6:30 PM ET Friday.
| Round | Game | Result |
|---|---|---|
| First Round | No. 17 Maryland vs. No. 16 Oregon | Maryland 70-60 ✅ |
| Second Round | No. 15 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Indiana | Northwestern 74-61 ✅ |
| Second Round | No. 14 Rutgers vs. No. 11 Minnesota | Rutgers 72-67 ✅ |
| Second Round | No. 12 Washington vs. No. 6 UCLA/USC | Washington OT ✅ |
| Third Round | No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 Iowa | Ohio State 72-69 ✅ |
| Third Round | No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Washington | Wisconsin 85-82 ✅ |
| Third Round | No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 15 Northwestern | Purdue 81 ✅ |
| Third Round | No. 6 UCLA vs. No. 14 Rutgers | In progress |
Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals: Full Friday Schedule
All four quarterfinals are Friday at the United Center in Chicago on the Big Ten Network. Game 11 is No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 8 Ohio State at Noon ET. Game 12 is No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 5 Wisconsin 25 minutes after Game 11. Game 13 is No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 2 Nebraska at 6:30 PM ET. Game 14 is No. 3 Michigan State vs. the UCLA-Rutgers winner 25 minutes after Game 13.
| Game | Matchup | Time ET | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 11 | No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 8 Ohio State | Noon | Big Ten Network |
| Game 12 | No. 4 Illinois vs. No. 5 Wisconsin | ~1:30 PM | Big Ten Network |
| Game 13 | No. 7 Purdue vs. No. 2 Nebraska | 6:30 PM | Big Ten Network |
| Game 14 | No. 3 Michigan State vs. TBD | ~8:00 PM | Big Ten Network |
Northwestern: The Cinderella Story of the 2026 Big Ten Tournament
Northwestern has shown real moxie getting up off the mat after a 1-8 start in Big Ten play that featured a ton of razor-tight losses. After beating Penn State, Indiana, and now Purdue, Northwestern has made the quarterfinals as a No. 15 seed — one of the more stunning runs in recent Big Ten Tournament history.
Nick Martinelli led the way for Northwestern in its second-round win over Indiana with 28 points on 10-18 shooting. The Wildcats now face No. 2 Nebraska in the quarterfinals after dispatching Purdue.
No. 1 Michigan: Defending Champion and Clear Favorite
Michigan won the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, beating Wisconsin in the championship game. The Wolverines are the No. 1 overall seed this year and the heavy favorite heading into Friday's quarterfinals.
Michigan faces No. 8 Ohio State at Noon ET on Friday — a rivalry game that rarely disappoints. The Buckeyes are riding momentum after their gutsy 72-69 win over Iowa on Thursday.
Big Ten Tournament Semifinals and Championship Schedule
The semifinals take place Saturday, March 14 at 1:00 PM ET and approximately 3:30 PM ET on CBS, with the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game Sunday, March 15 at 3:30 PM ET also on CBS. All games are at the United Center in Chicago. Live streaming is available on the CBS Sports App and Paramount+.
