Big Ten teams in Sweet 16: Michigan, Iowa help set conference record for most bids in March Madness second weekend
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Big Ten teams in Sweet 16: Michigan, Iowa help set conference record for most bids in March Madness second weekend originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 NCAA Tournament is underway, with the second round close to wrapping up. This year's tournament has seen some upsets and some buzzer beaters, but now the best of the best are starting to formulate the Sweet 16. As the name implies, 16 teams will qualify for the round, with each team needing just four more wins to cut down the nets as the national champions.
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The NCAA record for teams from one conference in the Sweet Sixteen is seven, held by the SEC, which achieved the feat in 2025. They could have some company at the top, though, because the Big Ten has the chance to send seven teams to the 2026 Sweet Sixteen.
So far, Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska and Iowa have all qualified for the Sweet Sixteen. UCLA will look to join them with a win against No. 2 UConn on Sunday night. Even if the Bruins don't, the Big Ten has already set its own conference record by having six representatives advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.
Here is more on the Big Ten setting its conference record with six teams already heading to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
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Big Ten Sweet 16 record
The Big Ten is already sending six teams to the Sweet 16 in 2026. That is a record for the conference, and one more team could be added to the mix.
UCLA has yet to play its round of 32 game. If the Bruins claim a victory over UConn, it will move the Big Ten into a tie for the all-time record for most teams in the Sweet 16 from one conference.
TeamResultsMichiganW, 101-80 vs. No. 16 HowardW, 95-72 vs. No. 9 Saint LouisPurdueW, 104-71 vs. No. 15 QueensW, 79-69 vs. No. 7 MiamiIllinoisW, 105-70 vs. No. 14 PennW, 76-55 vs. No. 11 VCUMichigan StateW, 92-67 vs. No. 14 North Dakota StateW, 77-69 vs. No. 6 LouisvilleNebraskaW, 76-47 vs. No. 13 TroyW, 75-74 vs. No. 5 VanderbiltIowaW, 67-61 vs. No. 8 ClemsonW, 73-72 vs. No. 1 FloridaHISTORY OF UPSETS BY SEED:
16 vs. 1 | 15 vs. 2 | 14 vs. 3 | 13 vs. 4 | 12 vs. 5
Big Ten teams in 2026 NCAA Tournament
Here is a look at all of the Big Ten teams that qualified for the 2026 NCAA Tournament and how they have fared.
TeamSeedStatusMichigan1Active, Sweet 16Purdue2Active, Sweet 16Illinois3Active, Sweet 16Michigan State3Active, Sweet 16Nebraska4Active, Sweet 16Wisconsin5Eliminated in first roundUCLA7Active, Round of 32Ohio State8Eliminated in first roundIowa9Active, Sweet 16The Big Ten's top five teams all advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. The Wolverines cruised to 21 and 23-point victories in the first two rounds. The Boilermakers had a scare from No. 7 Miami (FL), but held on for the 10-point second-round win. The Fighting Illini had two convincing wins, with an average margin of victory of 27 points.
The Cornhuskers entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament without a win in the men's NCAA Tournament in program history. Nebraska easily beat Troy by 29 points in the first round and then pulled off a huge 74-72 victory over No. 5 Vanderbilt to make the Sweet Sixteen. The Spartans were challenged by Louisville in the Round of 32, but held on for the eight-point win to advance.
Iowa added to the pyrotechnics on Sunday night, punching its ticket to the Sweet 16 with a last-second game-winner against defending champion Florida. The Hawkeyes finished ninth in the Big Ten during the regular season. A 67-61 win over No. 8 Clemson was hardly surprising. The same couldn't be said for their victory over the Gators, however. Both sides jostled for position, only for Iowa to take hold of the game for good with an Alvaro Folgueiras three-pointer at the death.
Ohio State played in the first game of the first round in a highly contested game against TCU. The Horned Frogs won 66-64, making the Buckeyes the first team eliminated from the Round of 64. Wisconsin entered as a No. 5 seed, but suffered the biggest upset of the tournament, losing 83-82 to No. 12 High Point.
UCLA is the lone team remaining yet to play in the second round. The Bruins will take on No. 2 UConn in Philadelphia, hoping to earn their first Sweet 16 berth since 2023.
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