Purdue Big Ten Tournament Hub: Bracket, Schedule, TV Information & Predictions
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Purdue's season didn't go quite according to plan. The Boilermakers had preseason aspirations of winning a Big Ten title, but finished 13-7 in conference play and received the No. 7 seed for this week's Big Ten Basketball Tournament.
Matt Painter's team has a chance to still prove itself as one of the top teams in the conference with a strong performance in the Big Ten Tournament. Can the Boilers win their third conference tournament title in program history this year?
Below is the complete schedule, bracket, television information and plenty more as Purdue heads to Chicago for the 2026 Big Ten Tournament.
2026 Big Ten Tournament bracket & schedule
Tuesday, March 10
- Game 1 — #17 Maryland vs. #16 Oregon (5 p.m. ET, Peacock)
- Game 2 — #18 Penn State vs. #15 Northwestern (approx. 7:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)
Wednesday, March 11
- Game 3 — #9 Iowa vs. Game 1 winner (noon ET, Peacock)
- Game 4 — #13 USC vs. #12 Washington (approx. 2:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)
- Game 5 — #10 Indiana vs. Game 2 winner (6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
- Game 6 — #14 Rutgers vs. #11 Minnesota (approx. 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Thursday, March 12
- Game 7 — #8 Ohio State vs. Game 3 winner (noon ET, Big Ten Network)
- Game 8 — #5 Wisconsin vs. Game 4 winner (approx. 2:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
- Game 9 — #7 Purdue vs. Game 5 winner (6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
- Game 10 — #6 UCLA vs. Game 6 winner (approx. 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Friday, March 13
- Game 11 — #1 Michigan vs. Game 7 winner (noon ET, Big Ten Network)
- Game 12 — #4 Illinois vs. Game 8 winner (approx. 2:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
- Game 13 — #2 Nebraska vs. Game 9 winner (6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
- Game 14 — #3 Michigan State vs. Game 10 winner (approx. 9 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network)
Saturday, March 14
- Game 15 — Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner (noon ET, CBS)
- Game 16 — Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner (approx. 2:30 p.m ET, CBS)
Sunday, March 15
- Championship — Game 15 winner vs. Game 16 winner (2:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Unlucky No. 7 seed?
The Big Ten Tournament is approaching a 30-year history, but the No. 7 seed is one Purdue has only had three times since the event's inaugural year in 1998. The Boilermakers have had no success with that seed number.
Purdue is 0-3 all-time as the No. 7 seed. The program earned that seed three times: 1999, 2004 and 2013. Here's a rundown of how the Boilers performed in that spot:
- 1999 — Lost to #10 Michigan 79-73
- 2004 — Lost to #10 Minnesota 63-52
- 2013 — Lost to #10 Nebraska 57-55
Can the Boilers change their fortunes with the No. 7 seed this year?
Predicting Purdue's path to a Big Ten Tournament title
When it comes to any college basketball tournament, there is no easy path to a championship. How could Purdue win their third Big Ten Tournament title in program history? Here's a look at a hypothetical path for the Boilermakers.
Third-round matchup: vs. #15 Northwestern
Even though folks in Indiana are probably salivating at the idea of a Purdue-IU matchup in Chicago, Northwestern defeats Penn State, then upsets the Hoosiers to advance to the third round of the Big Ten Tournament, thanks to the high-scoring ability of Nick Martinelli. But by the time the Wildcats play Purdue, they'll be on their third game in three days and the depth of the Boilermakers is too much for Chris Collins' team to handle.
Quarterfinal matchup: vs. #2 Nebraska
Nebraska is out for revenge after losing an 80-77 overtime game at home to Purdue just one month ago. The Boilermakers will still have trouble with the Huskers' outside shooting, especially if big man Rienk Mast is hitting from the perimeter. But, like the first matchup, Purdue finds success in the post with Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn, especially in the rebounding department. The Boilermakers win in a shootout, thanks to second-chance opportunities.
Semifinal matchup: vs. #3 Michigan State
A rematch between Jeremy Fears Jr. and Braden Smith, two of the best point guards in the country. Smith gets into a rhythm early, creating some trouble for Michigan State on the defensive end. His ability to score creates more opportunities for Fletcher Loyer and C.J. Cox, and both knock down shots from the perimeter. The Boilermakers eliminate live-ball turnovers and prohibit Michigan State from getting into transition, taking away the Spartans' greatest advantage and grind out a win to advance to the championship game.
Championship matchup: vs. #1 Michigan
By far, the most difficult matchup Purdue has faced to this point. Like the Michigan State game, Smith attacks offensively early and gets Aday Mara into no-man's land, creating an advantage for Purdue early. The Boilermakers also lean heavily on Kaufman-Renn, who scored 27 points in the first meeting between these two teams. Purdue gets significant help off the bench from Jack Benter, Gicarri Harris and Omer Mayer, and the Boilermakers pull off the upset to win a third conference title.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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