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Explaining the Big Ten’s New Baseball Tournament Format

An expanded field means a new format for this year's event.

Kaleb Henry

Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.
Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. / Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Big Ten Conference Baseball Tournament field is set, and 12 teams are embarking to Omaha.

As they do, they are also dissecting their paths to a championship. This year, that path looks a little different.

Instead of a traditional double- or single-elimination bracket, the Big Ten Tournament begins with four pools of three teams. Those three teams play the rest of their pool, with the pool winner advancing to the semifinals. From there, the tournament plays out in a classic single-elimination fashion.

The 2024 Big Ten Tournament Championship is the first for the Nebraska Baseball program.
The 2024 Big Ten Tournament Championship is the first for the Nebraska baseball program. / Amarillo Mullen

As for ties, as in if all teams go 1-1 in pool play, that goes to the highest seed. This makes it imperative for the seeds 5-12 to not drop a game and leave it up to the tiebreakers.

Different seeds have different days they are playing. Below is the schedule for each seed/team in this year's tournament.

  • (1) Oregon: Thursday, Friday
  • (2) UCLA: Wednesday, Thursday
  • (3) Iowa: Wednesday, Friday
  • (4) USC: Thursday, Friday
  • (5) UCLA: Wednesday, Friday
  • (6) Indiana: Tuesday, Friday
  • (7) Michigan: Tuesday, Thursday
  • (8) Nebraska: Tuesday, Friday
  • (9) Penn State: Wednesday, Thursday
  • (10) Rutgers: Tuesday, Wednesday
  • (11) Illinois: Tuesday, Wednesday
  • (12) Michigan State: Tuesday, Thursday

Based on the time that they play Thursday, the top seed (Oregon) plays its first game after five other teams have finished their pool play. The Ducks get extra rest going into the tournament but then play on four consecutive days.

Nebraska poses after winning the 2024 Big Ten Conference Tournament.
Nebraska poses after winning the 2024 Big Ten Tournament. / Amarillo Mullen

Every game this week will be broadcast on Big Ten Network. The full schedule of games is below.

May 20 (Pool Play)

  • Game 1: Michigan vs. Illinois 10 a.m. CDT
  • Game 2: Indiana vs. Rutgers 2 p.m. CDT
  • Game 3: Nebraska vs. Michigan State 6 p.m. CDT

May 21 (Pool Play)

  • Game 4: UCLA vs. Illinois 10 a.m. CDT
  • Game 5: Washington vs. Penn State 2 p.m. CDT
  • Game 6: Iowa vs. Rutgers 6 p.m. CDT

May 22 (Pool Play)

  • Game 7: UCLA vs. Michigan 10 a.m. CDT
  • Game 8: USC vs. Penn State 2 p.m. CDT
  • Game 9: Oregon vs. Michigan State 6 p.m. CDT

May 23 (Pool Play)

  • Game 10: USC vs. Washington 10 a.m. CDT
  • Game 11: Iowa vs. Indiana 2 p.m. CDT
  • Game 12: Oregon vs. Nebraska 6 p.m. CDT

May 24 (Semifinals)

  • Game 13: Pool A Winner vs. Pool D Winner 2 p.m. CDT
  • Game 14: Pool B Winner vs. Pool C Winner 6 p.m. CDT

May 26 (Championship)

  • Game 15: Game 13 Winner vs. Game 14 Winner 2 p.m. CDT
2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament bracket
2025 Big Ten Baseball Tournament bracket / Big Ten Conference

Follow along for results from the entire tournament with our Big Ten Tournament Central page.

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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