Conference championship week is upon us, and the Big Ten figures to have one of the most competitive and exciting tournaments in the country. Along with three true contenders that boast major star power, there are teams looking to solidify their NCAA Tournament standing as well as underdogs hoping to make a magical run to the title at Target Center in Minneapolis this week.
The whole shebang starts Wednesday with a Round 1 double-header on Peacock. First, No. 12 seed Purdue takes on No. 13 Northwestern at 6:30 p.m. EST (pre-game coverage begins at 6) for the right to play No. 5 Nebraska. About 25 minutes after that game ends, No. 11 Minnesota faces No. 14 Rutgers, with the winner moving on to play No. 6 Michigan.
Storylines abound for this electric week. Can Caitlin Clark and Iowa win their third straight conference title? Will we get rubber matches between the Hawkeyes and No. 1-seeded Ohio State and/or No. 3-seeded Indiana after both series split in the regular season? Could a team such as Nebraska or Maryland go on a surprising streak?
Only time will tell on these questions. In the meantime, see below for all the information you need on the event.
What is the schedule for the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament 2024?
The tournament takes place between Wednesday, March 6, and Sunday, March 10. The action tips off on Peacock with those two first-round games on Wednesday night. Thursday will see four second-round games. The top four seeds – No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Indiana and No. 4 Michigan State – do not see the court until Friday’s quarterfinals. The semifinals will be played Saturday afternoon, and the final tips off at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
What is the full bracket for the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament 2024?
The 14-team structure of the Big Ten makes for an intriguing bracket. The bottom four teams make up the first round and must win six games to take the conference championship. On the other end of things, the top four seeds only have to play four games and get plenty of time to watch their potential opponents.
In between, you have interesting dynamics. For example, No. 5 Nebraska and No. 6 Michigan get to play lower-seeded opponents than teams such as No. 8 Maryland and No. 9 Illinois, but the higher-seeded Cornhuskers and Wolverines do not find out their opponent until the night before their games.
For more information on broadcast schedule and potential matchups, here is the full bracket:
Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament winners by year
Here is a list of each Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament champion:
| Year | Champion | Score | Runner-up | Most Outstanding Player |
| 2023 | Iowa | 105–72 | Ohio State | Caitlin Clark, Iowa |
| 2022 | Iowa | 74–67 | Indiana | Caitlin Clark, Iowa |
| 2021 | Maryland | 104–84 | Iowa | Diamond Miller, Maryland |
| 2020 | Maryland | 82–65 | Ohio State | Ashley Owusu, Maryland |
| 2019 | Iowa | 90–76 | Maryland | Megan Gustafson, Iowa |
| 2018 | Ohio State | 79–69 | Maryland | Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State |
| 2017 | Maryland | 74–64 | Purdue | Brionna Jones, Maryland |
| 2016 | Maryland | 60–44 | Michigan State | Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland |
| 2015 | Maryland | 77–74 | Ohio State | Lexie Brown, Maryland |
| 2014 | Nebraska | 72–65 | Iowa | Rachel Theriot, Nebraska |
| 2013 | Purdue | 62–47 | Michigan State | Drey Mingo, Purdue |
| 2012 | Purdue | 74–70 | Nebraska | Brittany Rayburn, Purdue |
| 2011 | Ohio State | 84–70 | Penn State | Jantel Lavender, Ohio State |
| 2010 | Ohio State | 66–64 | Iowa | Jantel Lavender, Ohio State |
| 2009 | Ohio State | 67–66 | Purdue | Jantel Lavender, Ohio State |
| 2008 | Purdue | 58–56 | Illinois | FahKara Malone, Purdue |
| 2007 | Purdue | 64–52 | Ohio State | Katie Gearlds, Purdue |
| 2006 | Ohio State | 63–60 | Purdue | Brandie Hoskins, Ohio State |
| 2005 | Michigan State | 55–49 | Minnesota | Kristin Haynie, Michigan State |
| 2004 | Purdue | 59–58 | Penn State | Shereka Wright, Purdue |
| 2003 | Purdue | 67–65 | Ohio State | Shereka Wright, Purdue |
| 2002 | Indiana | 75–72 | Penn State | Heather Cassady, Indiana |
| 2001 | Iowa | 75–70 | Purdue | Cara Consuegra, Iowa |
| 2000 | Purdue | 71–63 | Penn State | Helen Darling, Penn State |
| 1999 | Purdue | 80–76 | Illinois | Stephanie White, Purdue |
| 1998 | Purdue | 59–49 | Penn State | Andrea Garner, Penn State |
| 1997 | Iowa | 63–56 | Illinois | Angela Hamblin, Iowa |
| 1996 | Penn State | 71–69 | Purdue | Angie Potthoff, Penn State |
| 1995 | Penn State | 68–63 | Ohio State | Missy Masley, Penn State |
Iowa has won the tournament the last two years, with Clark twice taking home Most Outstanding Player honors. Maryland has been the most successful team of the last decade, though, with five championships and two runner-up finishes. Brenda Frese is a scary coach to see in a survive-and-advance setting.
Purdue has by far the most Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament championships with nine but has not won the event since 2013. Behind them, three teams are tied in second, as Maryland, Iowa and Ohio State all have five. The Hawkeyes and Buckeyes, as the top two seeds in this year’s tournament, are especially primed to move into sole possession of second place on the list with another championship.
Penn State won the first two Big Ten tournaments in 1995 and 1996 but have not scaled the mountaintop since. Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Rutgers and Wisconsin are all looking for their first tournament victories in the Big Ten.