March Madness has arrived. The 2026 men’s NCAA tournament got off to a hot start Thursday, and promises to continue with 16 more matchups set to get underway Friday.
The Big Ten is well-represented in the Big Dance once again, with nine teams in the field of 64, matching the record for the conference. Only the SEC (10) has more. No. 1 Michigan leads the way, with No. 2 Purdue, No. 3 seeds Michigan State and Illinois, and No. 4 Nebraska littering the top seed lines of this year’s bracket.
No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 7 UCLA, No. 8 Ohio State and No. 9 Iowa fill out the Big Ten’s list of participants, though two of those teams have already been eliminated after Thursday’s action.
The left side of the bracket features six of the nine Big East teams, with three in the East Region and three in the South Region. Michigan is the lone Big Ten program in the Midwest as the No. 1 seed, meaning it would not get a conference rematch until the Final Four at the earliest. The West features a pair of Big Ten programs, including Purdue.
Big Ten record in NCAA tournament after day one of the first round
The Big Ten did not have any teams compete in the First Four, so Thursday was the conference’s March Madness 2026 debut, and while things went pretty well for the league overall, there were a couple of serious hiccups along the way. The league is 4–2 after one full day of play.
No. 8 Ohio State played in the first game of the day against No. 9 TCU, a back and forth affair that ended with a poor Buckeyes possession, giving the Horned Frogs a 66–64 win. No. 5 Wisconsin was the fourth game to tip off on Thursday, and the Badgers ran into a buzzsaw in the form of No. 12 High Point, which hit 15 threes en route to an 83–82 upset victory.
Otherwise, it was a good day for the Big Ten. No. 4 Nebraska was completely locked in and dominated No. 13 Troy, 76–47, behind a red-hot start for Pryce Sandfort. No. 1 Michigan had some trouble early with No. 16 Howard, but ultimately separated itself in the second half to win comfortably, 101–80. No. 3 Michigan State jumped all over No. 14 North Dakota State and cruised to a 92–67 win. And No. 3 Illinois, which has one of the nation’s best offenses, had the most impressive offensive showing of the tournament so far, scoring 105 points in a win over No. 14 Penn, including 65 in the second half alone. That game finished at 105–70.
Which Big Ten teams are still alive?
On top of Thursday’s winners—Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Nebraska—three more programs are in action on Friday evening.
No. 9 Iowa is actually a slight favorite against No. 8 Clemson, in a coinflip on the tournament’s tightest seed-lines. No. 7 UCLA ended its regular season strong, but much to Mick Cronin’s chagrin, head east for a game against No. 10 UCF in Philadelphia. No. 2 Purdue, one of the most veteran teams in the country, takes on No. 15 Queens.
Big Ten March Madness schedule
Below are all the details available for the seven remaining Big Ten teams’ upcoming games on Friday and Saturday. All times are ET. Big Ten programs are in bold. The full men’s NCAA tournament schedule and TV lineup is available here.
| Game | Date | Time | Location | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa | Friday, March 20 | 6:50 p.m. | Tampa | TNT |
| No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF | Friday, March 20 | 7:25 p.m. | Philadelphia | TBS |
| No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Queens | Friday, March 20 | 7:35 p.m. | St. Louis | truTV |
| No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 9 Saint Louis | Saturday, March 21 | 12:10 p.m. | Tampa | CBS |
| No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Louisville | Saturday, March 21 | 2:45 p.m. | Buffalo | CBS |
| No. 3 Illinois vs. No. 11 VCU | Saturday, March 21 | 7:50 p.m. | Greenville, S.C. | CBS |
| No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 5 Vanderbilt | Saturday, March 21 | 8:45 p.m. | Oklahoma City | TNT |
Biggest wins and most disappointing losses
It is difficult to call any of the Big Ten’s wins so far as “big,” as they all came from top four seeds against overmatched opponents. Still, we’ve seen high seeds flirt with disaster in this tournament numerous times, and just yesterday No. 1 overall seed Duke very nearly lost its matchup to a No. 16 Siena team that was missing a number of key contributors and made virtually no substitutions in the game. So it is worth commending Michigan State, Illinois and Nebraska for how dominant they looked—especially the Huskers, who scored their first-ever NCAA tournament win against a Troy team that some considered a trendy upset pick.
The most disappointing loss has to go to Wisconsin, which has failed to get out of the first weekend in six straight tournament appearances, dating back to 2017, Greg Gard’s second season in Madison.
How the Big Ten compares to other conferences in the 2026 NCAA tournament
Of the Power 5 leagues, the SEC is off to the best start at 5–1. At 4–2, the Big Ten is roughly on par with the Big 12 (2–1), though most of that league’s teams have not yet played. The ACC is 2–3, dragged down by NC State and SMU losing in the First Four, though Duke’s near and an upset loss by North Carolina on Thursday don’t inspire confidence. The Big East, which landed a disappointing three teams in the field, has not yet played.
The Atlantic 10 looks like the class of the mid-majors so far at 2–0, with Saint Louis and VCU scoring first-round upsets.
More March Madness from Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
- The Three Worst Game-Changing Calls From Kentucky’s Nervy Win Over Santa Clara
- How a Missed Timeout Helped Kentucky Survive Scare From Santa Clara in March Madness
- Where Is Queens University Located? What to Know About No. 15 Seed Playing Purdue
- ACC Record in March Madness 2026 After Thursday’s First Round NCAA Tournament Games
- What to Know About High Point University, An NCAA Cinderella School That Caters to the Rich
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Big Ten Record in March Madness 2026 After Thursday’s First Round NCAA Tournament Games.
