Womens Big Ten Tournament Kicks Off Today

Caitlin Clark drives to the hoop against Penn State. Photo by Kevin Walker

 

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced the full bracket for the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, which will take place March 6-10 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

All-session tickets are sold out for the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, marking the first sellout in the history of the 31-year event. More than 109,000 fans are expected to attend over the five days of competition. For more information on events surrounding the tournament, visit the Big Ten Tournament Central (bigten.org/WBBT) and follow Big Ten Women’s Basketball on X (formerly Twitter) (@B1GWBBall) throughout the 2023-24 season.

All 13 games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will be broadcast live to a national audience, with the opening round being streamed for the first time ever on Peacock. The Big Ten Network (and the FOX Sports App) will broadcast the second round through semifinal games from Thursday to Saturday. The championship game on Sunday, March 10 will tip off at 11 a.m. CT/Noon ET on CBS, the first time the network will carry the title game.

Ohio State (25-4, 16-2 Big Ten) is the No. 1 seed for this year’s tournament after clinching its conference-best 16th regular season crown, its first outright title since the 2009-10 season. The Buckeyes have been ranked No. 2 in both national polls for the past three weeks and earned the No. 2 national seed in the final NCAA Committee top-16 reveal on Thursday. Ohio State has won five Big Ten Tournament championships and was the runner-up at last year’s tournament.

Ohio State will open Big Ten Tournament play on Friday with a quarterfinal outing at 11:30 a.m. CT live on the Big Ten Network against the winner of the second-round game between No. 8 seed Maryland and No. 9 seed Illinois.

Defending Big Ten Tournament champion Iowa (26-4, 15-3 Big Ten) earned the No. 2 seed in dramatic fashion on Sunday by defeating Ohio State, 93-83, in front of a sellout crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and a national television audience on FOX. The victory broke the tie between the Hawkeyes and Indiana for second place in the Big Ten standings, with Iowa earning the edge based on a better winning percentage against the highest team in the standings (Ohio State – Iowa was 1-1 against the Buckeyes, Indiana was 0-1).

Iowa has won five Big Ten Tournament titles, including the last two in 2022 and 2023. The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 6 in both major national polls, while garnering the No. 7 national seed in the NCAA Committee’s reveal. Iowa will open its postseason slate at 5:30 p.m. CT Friday with a quarterfinal game on the Big Ten Network against the winner of the second-round matchup between No. 7 seed Penn State and 10th-seeded Wisconsin.

Indiana (24-4, 15-3 Big Ten) claimed the No. 3 seed for the tournament after tying for second place in the Big Ten standings. The Hoosiers have spent the last month at No. 14 in the Associated Press (AP) poll, rose back to No. 12 in the latest Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today poll and were tabbed as the No. 14 national seed in the NCAA Committee’s reveal. Indiana has one Big Ten Tournament title from 2002 and begins its quest for another on Friday night against No. 6 seed Michigan, No. 11 seed Minnesota or No. 14 seed Rutgers in the last quarterfinal on the Big Ten Network, 25 minutes following the completion of Iowa’s quarterfinal.

Rounding out the top four seeds is Michigan State (22-7, 12-6 Big Ten) with the last of the tournament’s double-byes into the quarterfinal round. The Spartans, who have been receiving votes in the AP poll for nine weeks this season, are seeking their second tournament crown after winning their first title in 2005. Michigan State will open play on Friday afternoon against No. 5 seed Nebraska, No. 12 seed Purdue or No. 13 seed Northwestern in the quarterfinals, playing on the Big Ten Network 25 minutes after Ohio State’s game has ended.

The 2024 TIAA Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, March 6 – First Round
Game 1 | #12 Purdue vs. #13 Northwestern | 5:30 p.m. CT | Peacock
Game 2 | #11 Minnesota vs. #14 Rutgers | 25 minutes following Game 1 | Peacock

Thursday, March 7 – Second Round
Game 3 | #8 Maryland vs. #9 Illinois | 11:30 a.m. CT | BTN
Game 4 | #5 Nebraska vs. G1 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 3 | BTN
Game 5 | #7 Penn State vs. #10 Wisconsin | 5:30 p.m. CT | BTN
Game 6 | #6 Michigan vs. G2 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 5 | BTN

Friday, March 8 – Quarterfinals
Game 7 | #1 Ohio State vs. G3 Winner | 11:30 a.m. CT | BTN
Game 8 | #4 Michigan State vs. G4 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 7 | BTN
Game 9 | #2 Iowa vs. G5 Winner | 5:30 p.m. CT | BTN
Game 10 | #3 Indiana vs. G6 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 9 | BTN

Saturday, March 9 – Semifinals
Game 11 | G7 Winner vs. G8 Winner | 1 p.m. CT | BTN
Game 12 | G9 Winner vs. G10 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 11 | BTN

Sunday, March 10 – Championship
Game 13 | G11 Winner vs. G12 Winner | 11 a.m. CT | CBS

All Iowa Hawkeye games will be broadcast on FM 95.1 and AM 860, KWPC

.