2026 Big Ten women's basketball tournament: Bracket, schedule, TV, how to watch

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The 2026 Big Ten women's basketball tournament begins on Wednesday, officially kicking off March Madness.

Sixteen teams will vie for the conference title beginning Wednesday, March 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The UCLA Bruins won their first Big Ten Tournament championship last season, upsetting USC in the title game. UCLA, the No. 2 team in the country, will look to defend its title as No. 1 seed. All-American candidate Lauren Betts is averaging 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds to lead the Bruins.

Other top seeds include Iowa at No. 2, Michigan No. 3 and Minnesota No. 4. The four teams don't have to play until Friday's quarterfinals, having earned the double-bye.

Here's everything you need to know about the Big Ten Tournament:

When is the Big Ten Tournament schedule?​

The 2026 Big Ten women's basketball tournament begins Wednesday, March 4 and runs through Sunday, March 8, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Play begins at 3:30 p.m. ET for the first round on Wednesday, noon ET for the second round on Thursday and quarterfinals Friday and 2 p.m. ET for the semifinals on Saturday.

The Big Ten tournament championship game is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

How to watch women's Big Ten Tournament​

The Big Ten Tournament first round action can be streamed on Peacock. Second round games through the semifinals will be on the Big Ten Network.

The tournament championship will be broadcast on CBS.

2026 Big Ten women's basketball tournament bracket​

Your first look at the field for 2026 #B1GWBBT pic.twitter.com/zqey7hsvBS

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 2, 2026

Big Ten Tournament schedule, bracket, scores​

The 2026 Big Ten women's basketball tournament unfolds over five days during March, with all games played in Indianapolis.

Here’s the daily schedule:

Wednesday, March 4 – First round

• Game 1 | #12 Nebraska vs. #13 Indiana | 3:30 p.m. ET | Peacock
• Game 2 | #10 Illinois vs. #15 Wisconsin | 25 minutes following Game 1 | Peacock
• Game 3 | #11 Oregon vs. #14 Purdue | 25 minutes following Game 2 | Peacock

Thursday, March 5 – Second round

• Game 4 | #8 Washington vs. #9 USC | 12 p.m. ET | BTN
• Game 5 | #5 Ohio State vs. G1 winner | 25 minutes following Game 4 | BTN
• Game 6 | #7 Michigan State vs. G2 winner | 6:30 p.m. ET | BTN
• Game 7 | #6 Maryland vs. G3 winner | 25 minutes following Game 6 | BTN

Friday, March 6 – Quarterfinals

• Game 8 | #1 UCLA vs. G4 winner | 12 p.m. ET | BTN
• Game 9 | #4 Minnesota vs. G5 winner | 25 minutes following Game 8 | BTN
• Game 10 | #2 Iowa vs. G6 winner | 6:30 p.m. ET | BTN
• Game 11 | #3 Michigan vs. G7 winner | 25 minutes following Game 10 | BTN

Saturday, March 7 – Semifinals

• Game 12 | G8 winner vs. G9 winner | 2 p.m. ET | BTN
• Game 13 | G10 winner vs. G11 winner | 4:30 p.m. ET | BTN

Sunday, March 8 – Championship

• Game 14 | G12 winner vs. G13 winner | 2:15 p.m. ET | CBS

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 Big Ten women's basketball tournament: Bracket, schedule, how to watch

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