The Big Ten Conference added USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon in 2024 to bring it to a total of 18 years. In the 2024-25 college basketball season, the Big Ten Conference tournament had just 15 teams make the cut.

But, it seems those days are over. On Thursday, it was announced that the Big Ten will now have all 18 teams in the conference tournament, in turn adding an extra day to make things work for scheduling purposes, per Matt Fortuna of The Inside Zone.

“SOURCE: The 2025-26 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament will include all 18 teams, one year after including 15. This will add a day, March 10, to the tournament in Chicago. The women’s tournament in Indianapolis will stay at 15. Coaches voted on their respective brackets.”

The Big Ten Network also did a dive into the new details of the tournament, although this only applies to the men's side.

Last season, Michigan defeated Wisconsin to win the Big Ten tournament. The three teams that didn't make the field were Nebraska, Penn State and Washington, but this year all 18 teams will make the cut. At that time, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades was not happy with the 15-team format and his team not making the field, per Will Horstman of The Daily Collegian.

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“I think that’s horses**t to be honest with you,” Rhoades said. “Everybody bangs their chest about student-athlete experience, and we’re in the Big Ten, and we’re keeping three teams out of it?”

The women's team will stay the same with a 15-team format, meaning the final three teams won't make the field.

To make things work with extra teams and extra games, the tournament will begin on March 10 with the final game being played on March 15, which is also Selection Sunday as the Big Ten title game normally falls on the same day,

The 2026 Big Ten tournament will be held in Chicago at the United Center.