The Big Dance is almost here.
But first, the teams in each top conference will battle it out for the postseason crown — and an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
In the Big Ten, Michigan State earned top seed for the first time since 2019, finishing with 17 conference wins — the most in program history — en route to its 17th Big Ten regular season title. The last time the Spartans took No. 1, they won the conference title.
But the Big Ten's winningest team won't have it easy in this year's tournament. In its inaugural Big Ten crusade, UCLA claimed the conference's fourth seed, proving itself to be a fierce competitor for its new conference mates. Meanwhile, Maryland has jumped 10 spots from its No. 12 ranking last season to second.
So, when does the action begin? Here's what to know about the 2025 Big Ten tourney.
How many teams are in the 2025 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament?
Fifteen teams will compete for the conference title. Here's a look at the seeds for the 2025 Big Ten tournament:
- Michigan State
- Maryand
- Michigan
- UCLA
- Wisconsin
- Purdue
- Illinois
- Oregon
- Indiana
- Ohio State
- Rutgers
- Minnesota
- Northwestern
- USC
- Iowa
When is the Big Ten tournament?
The tournament will begin on Wednesday, March 12, with three first-round games. The second round will take place on Thursday, the quarterfinals on Friday and the semifinals on Saturday. The championship game will be held on Selection Sunday, March 16, before the release of the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket.
Where is the Big Ten tournament?
All games will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The arena is the home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the WNBA's Indiana Fever.
What is the 2025 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament schedule?
Minnesota will kick off competition against Northwestern in the first of three first-round clashes at 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 12.
Check out the full schedule:
Wednesday, March 12 — First Round
- Game 1: No. 12 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Northwestern | 3:30 p.m. ET
- Game 2: No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Iowa | 25 minutes after Game 1 ends
- Game 3: No. 11 Rutgers vs. No. 14 USC | 25 minutes after Game 2 ends
Thursday, March 13 — Second Round
- Game 4: No. 9 Indiana vs. No. 8 Oregon | 12 p.m. ET
- Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. No. 5 Wisconsin | 25 minutes after Game 4 ends
- Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. No. 7 Illinois | 6:30 p.m. ET
- Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. No. 6 Purdue | 25 minutes after Game 6 ends
Friday, March 14 — Quarterfinals
- Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. No. 1 Michigan State | 12 p.m. ET
- Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. No. 4 UCLA | 25 minutes after Game 8 ends
- Game 10: Game 6 winner vs. No. 2 Maryland | 6:30 p.m. ET
- Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. No. 3 Michigan | 25 minutes after Game 10 ends
Saturday, March 15 — Semifinals
- Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner | 1 p.m. ET
- Game 13: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner | 25 minutes after Game 12 ends
Sunday, March 16 — Championship
- Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner | 3:30 p.m. ET
How to watch the 2025 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament on TV, online
Here's a day-by-day breakdown of where the action will be available to watch:
- Wednesday, March 12: Peacock
- Thursday, March 13: Big Ten Network
- Friday, March 14: Big Ten Network
- Saturday, March 15: CBS
- Sunday, March 16: CBS
Previous Big Ten tournament winners
Illinois enters the tournament as the reigning Big Ten champions after beating No. 5 Wisconsin 93-87 in last year's title contest for its second title in four campaigns. The Fighting Illini look quite different this year, having lost four of last year's starters that powered the team to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005, but solid wins over rivals Michigan, UCLA and Purdue have proven they're not a group to be ignored.
Before that, Purdue (2023) and Iowa (2022) earned the postseason conference prize.
Michigan State has the most tournament championships with six. Ohio State and Illinois are next with four, and Wisconsin and Iowa have three apiece.
