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. The final of the tournament is typically the last game played before the NCAA Tournament field is announced, so it gathers nationwide attention. Of course, it helps that the Big Ten is home to plenty of traditional basketball powerhouses. Since the tournament was first played in 1998, the Big Ten Tournament has been where bitter rivals collide on the big stage. 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.

The Old Boys Club

To some extent, the Big Ten Tournament has been dominated by the same handful of traditional powerhouse programs. 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. But those aren’t the only five teams capable of making noise in the Big Ten Tournament in any given year. Indiana and Purdue are both exemplary basketball schools that have the benefit of playing in their home state every other year.

Big Ten newcomer Maryland also has a great pedigree on the hardwood. The likes of Iowa and Minnesota are no slouches when it comes to their place in Big Ten basketball lore. Every year, over half a dozen teams show up to the Big Ten Basketball Tournament believing they can win a championship, which is what makes it one of the most competitive and unpredictable tournaments during college basketball’s Championship Week.