But those aren’t the only five teams capable of making noise in the Big Ten Tournament in any given year. The likes of Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois have shared a vast majority of the Big Ten Tournament titles over the years. To some extent, the Big Ten Tournament has been dominated by the same handful of traditional powerhouse programs. But now that the conference has 14 teams, the level of competition is off the charts most years, making any basketball fan lucky if they can score last-minute Big Ten Basketball Tournament tickets. Since the tournament was first played in 1998, the Big Ten Tournament has been where bitter rivals collide on the big stage. Of course, it helps that the Big Ten is home to plenty of traditional basketball powerhouses. The final of the tournament is typically the last game played before the NCAA Tournament field is announced, so it gathers nationwide attention.
There’s nothing in sports quite like championship week in college basketball, and year after year, the Big Ten Basketball Tournament is one of the best in the country.
