A History of the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament
Since 1998, the Big Ten Tournament has been the culminating event of the Big Ten college basketball regular season. This article provides a comprehensive history of the Big Ten Tournament, including winners, runners-up, final scores, and Most Outstanding Players.
Tournament Origins and Purpose
The Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. Since its inception in 1998, the tournament has served to determine the Big Ten Tournament Champion. The winner of the tournament is designated the Big Ten Tournament Champion and receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
Tournament Location History
The Big Ten Men's Basketball tournaments have been held at neutral sites every year. The first four tournaments were held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Beginning in 2002, the tournament alternated between the United Center and Conseco Fieldhouse (later known as Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and now as Gainbridge Fieldhouse) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
On June 5, 2011, the Big Ten announced that the tournament would revert to alternating between Indianapolis and Chicago. The 2019 through 2022 Tournaments returned to alternating between the United Center in Chicago and Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
On February 9, 2021, it was announced that the 2021 edition would be moved from its planned location of the United Center in Chicago to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis due to health and safety protocols relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read also: The Pivotal '74 Season
Big Ten Tournament Champions
Here's a breakdown of each Big Ten Tournament, including the winner, runner-up, final score, and Most Outstanding Player:
- 2025: Michigan def. Wisconsin (59-53) - Vladislav Goldin, Michigan
- 2024: Illinois def. Wisconsin (93-87) - Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois
- 2023: Purdue def. Penn State (67-65) - Zach Edey, Purdue
- 2022: Iowa def. Purdue (75-66) - Keegan Murray, Iowa
- 2021: Illinois def. Ohio State (91-88 OT) - Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
- 2020: Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2019: Michigan State def. Michigan (65-60) - Cassius Winston, Michigan State
- 2018: Michigan def. Purdue (75-66) - Moritz Wagner, Michigan
- 2017: Michigan def. Wisconsin (71-56) - Derrick Walton, Michigan
- 2016: Michigan State def. Purdue (66-62) - Denzel Valentine, Michigan State
- 2015: Wisconsin def. Michigan State (80-69 OT) - Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin
- 2014: Michigan State def. Michigan (69-55) - Branden Dawson, Michigan State
- 2013: Ohio State def. Wisconsin (50-43) - Aaron Craft, Ohio State
- 2012: Michigan State def. Ohio State (68-64) - Draymond Green, Michigan State
- 2011: Ohio State def. Penn State (71-60) - Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
- 2010: Ohio State def. Minnesota (90-61) - Evan Turner, Ohio State
- 2009: Purdue def. Ohio State (65-61) - Robbie Hummel, Purdue
- 2008: Wisconsin def. Illinois (61-48) - Marcus Landry, Wisconsin
- 2007: Ohio State def. Wisconsin (66-49) - Greg Oden, Ohio State
- 2006: Iowa def. Ohio State (67-60) - Jeff Horner, Iowa
- 2005: Illinois def. Wisconsin (54-43) - James Augustine, Illinois
- 2004: Wisconsin def. Illinois (70-53) - Devin Harris, Wisconsin
- 2003: Illinois def. Ohio State (72-59) - Brian Cook, Illinois
- 2002: Ohio State def. Iowa (81-64) - Boban Savovic, Ohio State
- 2001: Iowa def. Indiana (63-61) - Reggie Evans, Iowa
- 2000: Michigan State def. Illinois (76-61) - Morris Peterson, Michigan State
- 1999: Michigan State def. Illinois (67-50) - Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State
- 1998: Michigan def. Purdue (76-67) - Robert Traylor, Michigan
Success in the NCAA Tournament
On seven occasions, the champion of the tournament has gone on to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament (Michigan State in 1999, 2000, and 2019, Illinois in 2005, Ohio State in 2007, Wisconsin in 2015, and Michigan in 2018). In 2000, champion Michigan State won the NCAA tournament.
Tournament Seeds
The No. 1 seed has won the tournament ten times, the most of any seed. The lowest seed to win the tournament was Michigan as a No. 8 seed in 2017.
Team Success
Michigan State has won the most Big Ten Tournament Championships with six. Below is a list of schools that have won the Big Ten Tournament over the years:
- Michigan State - 6 (1999, 2000, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019)
- Ohio State - 5 (2002, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013)
- Illinois - 4 (2003, 2005, 2021, 2024)
- Michigan - 4 (1998, 2017, 2018, 2025)
- Iowa - 3 (2001, 2006, 2022)
- Wisconsin - 3 (2004, 2008, 2015)
- Purdue - 2 (2009, 2023)
Coaching Success
Michigan State's Tom Izzo has won the most Big Ten Tournaments with six. Below are the other coaches with championships:
Read also: NCAA Glory: Florida Gators
- Tom Izzo (6)
- Thad Matta (4)
- Bo Ryan (3)
- John Beilein (2)
- Matt Painter (2)
- Steve Alford (2)
- Brad Underwood (1)
- Bruce Weber (1)
- Dusty May (1)
- Fran McCaffery (1)
Sanctions and Vacated Titles
Due to various rulings against participating programs, some of the results of the Big Ten tournament have been vacated or voided. Here is a compiled list of sanctions imposed that have affected the results and records of the tournament since its inception.
The NCAA has vacated most NCAA records for the Ohio State basketball team from the 1998-99 season through the 2001-02 season, including the 1999, 2001, and 2002 Big Ten tournaments.
Due to NCAA sanctions, Michigan has vacated the records from the 1992 Final Four, the 1992-93, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, and 1998-99 seasons.
Due to NCAA sanctions, Ohio State has vacated the records of 34 games in 1998-99, 16 games in 1999-00 and the entire 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.
Due to NCAA sanctions, Minnesota has vacated the records from the 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, and 1998-99 seasons.
Read also: Integration and the '58 Championship
tags: #NCAA #basketball #Big #Ten #Championship #history
