These Are the Teams MSU Has to Beat to Win the Next Big Ten Title

Michigan State is expected to be one of the contenders in the conference next season.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo lays into Michigan State guard Trey Fort (9) during a time out in the first half of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball East Regional game against UConn at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Friday, March 27, 2026. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the main goals for Michigan State next season is to win a Big Ten title.

The Spartans won it two years ago with a 17-3 conference record. That might be the bar to reach to win a championship in an 18-team conference. MSU has a roster complete enough to win it again during its 2026-27 season. Several other teams are vying for the same thing, though.

Michigan

Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May reacts against the Connecticut Huskies in the first half during the national championship of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Michigan is going to be a big part of the picture next season again. The Wolverines won the national title and went 19-1 during Big Ten regular-season play, after all. Head coach Dusty May won't have Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, or Morez Johnson Jr. next year. That frontcourt was the engine of UM's dominance last season.

Starting point guard Elliot Cadeau is back, as is Trey McKenney. Incoming five-star recruit Brandon McCoy also helps build out the backcourt. May went to the portal to build back up the frontcourt, landing Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati), JP Estrella (Tennessee), and Jalen Reed (LSU). It's not as loaded of a roster as last season's, but it's still certainly one that can contend for banners again. Michigan and Michigan State will meet twice.

Illinois

Mar 26, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) and guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) reacts after the game in a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Illinois is also eyeing another big year. The Fighting Illini made it to the Final Four last season. Exiting is surprise star Keaton Wagner for the NBA Draft, but a huge chunk of last year's Illinois squad will be back. Both David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic chose a return over the NBA Draft. The Ivisic twins are back. Jake Davis is back.

Brad Underwood then went and got Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, who averaged 15.8 points per game last season. Also joining Illinois is five-star guard Quentin Coleman. Personally, I'd consider Illinois to be the favorite right now. MSU's lone matchup against Illinois next season will be in Champaign.

USC

Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts against the UCLA Bruins at the Galen Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Trojans are one program that will have much higher expectations next season than the prior one. USC went a mere 18-14 overall last year with a 7-13 Big Ten record, but head coach Eric Musselman has been very busy this offseason. He's taken in six transfers this offseason, led by Georgetown transfer KJ Lewis. He averaged 14.9 points per game last year.

High school recruiting is the main source of the hype, though. USC is bringing in three players that way --- all of them are five-stars on the 247Sports Composite. One of them, center Darius Ratliff, was teammates at Archbishop Stepinac alongside Michigan State's Jasiah Jervis.