The lead up to Men’s March Madness is finally here, and it starts with the NCAA basketball conference tournaments, where all 31 NCAA D1 men’s basketball conferences compete for a conference championship title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (a.k.a. March Madness).
When it comes to the Big Ten conference, the 2025 tournament is expected to be a thrilling one, with Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Purdue all in contention for a potential title.
This post will help you get your head in the game; with all the key information you need to be able to watch the Big Ten Basketball Tournament live on TV.
Which you can do, by the way, all on DIRECTV!
When is the 2025 Big Ten Basketball Tournament?
\The Big Ten men’s basketball conference tournament will consist of five rounds and takes place from March 12-16. Games will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
How to Watch Big Ten Conference Tournament Games
Big Ten basketball fans can watch every conference tournament game live on TV and streaming across Peacock, Big Ten Network and CBS.
If you don’t currently have access to Big Ten Network, you can fix that by signing up for one of several DIRECTV packages. Customers can get CBS, Big Ten Network (Ch. 610) and a variety of other sports-centric channels with these packages:
- CHOICE(TM) Signature Package: Get 125+ channels for $79.99/mo. + taxes & fees
- MySports Genre Pack: Get 25+ sports networks and ESPN+ for $69.99/mo.
Get started with DIRECTV today or learn more about MySports right here.
What Teams are in the Big Ten Conference?
16 of the 18 teams in the Big Ten will compete in the upcoming tournament. But with all the recent changes among college conferences, including four new additions to Big Ten, let’s go over which schools are a part of the conference. To see a specific conference team’s individual schedule, click the links below.
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Michigan State
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Northwestern
- Ohio State
- Penn State
- Purdue
- Rutgers
- Wisconsin
- Oregon*
- UCLA*
- USC*
- Washington*
*New in 2024-25
As of March 7th, we can’t say for sure which two Big Ten teams will sit out of this year’s conference tournament, but based on the current standings, it appears Penn State (5-14) and Washington (4-15) will be missing the event. Although, depending on the next week, Iowa (6-12) may take one of those spots.
Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Schedule
Find the full Big Ten Men’s basketball tournament game schedule right here, which starts on Wednesday, March 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
| Round | Date | Game Time | Team 1 | Team 2 | Watch Info |
| First Round | Wed., Mar. 12 | 3:30 PM ET | No. 12 Seed | No. 13 Seed | Peacock |
| First Round | Wed., Mar. 12 | 6:00 PM ET | No. 10 Seed | No. 15 Seed | Peacock |
| First Round | Wed., Mar. 12 | 8:30 PM ET | No. 11 Seed | No. 14 Seed | Peacock |
| Second Round | Thu., Mar. 13 | 12:00 PM ET | No. 8 Seed | No. 9 Seed | Big Ten Network |
| Second Round | Thu., Mar. 13 | 2:30 PM ET | No. 5 Seed | Game 1 Winner | Big Ten Network |
| Second Round | Thu., Mar. 13 | 6:30 PM ET | No. 7 Seed | Game 2 Winner | Big Ten Network |
| Second Round | Thu., Mar. 13 | 9:00 PM ET | No. 6 Seed | Game 3 Winner | Big Ten Network |
| Quarterfinals | Fri., Mar. 14 | 12:00 PM ET | No. 1 Seed | Game 4 Winner | Big Ten Network |
| Quarterfinals | Fri., Mar. 14 | 2:30 PM ET | No. 4 Seed | Game 5 Winner | Big Ten Network |
| Quarterfinals | Fri., Mar. 14 | 6:30 PM ET | No. 2 Seed | Game 6 Winner | Big Ten Network |
| Quarterfinals | Fri., Mar. 14 | 9:00 PM ET | No. 3 Seed | Game 7 Winner | Big Ten Network |
| Semifinals | Sat., Mar. 15 | 1:00 PM ET | Game 8 Winner | Game 9 Winner | CBS |
| Semifinals | Sat., Mar. 15 | 3:30 PM ET | Game 10 Winner | Game 11 Winner | CBS |
| Championship | Sun., Mar. 16 | 3:30 PM ET | Championship Game | Game 12 Winner vs. Game 13 Winner | CBS |
Big Ten Conference Team Seeding as of March 7
Wondering where your favorite team will be seeded come the Big Ten Tournament? While we can’t tell you the future, we can show you what the seeding would look like if the tournament were starting tomorrow. Here are the current rankings as of March 7, 2025.
| Seed | Team | Conference Record |
| 1 | Michigan State | 16-3 |
| 2 | Michigan | 14-5 |
| 3 | Maryland | 13-6 |
| 4 | Purdue | 13-6 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 13-6 |
| 6 | UCLA | 12-7 |
| 7 | Illinois | 11-8 |
| 8 | Oregon | 11-8 |
| 9 | Indiana | 9-10 |
| 10 | Ohio State | 9-10 |
| 11 | Minnesota | 7-12 |
| 12 | Nebraska | 7-12 |
| 13 | Northwestern | 7-12 |
| 14 | Rutgers | 7-12 |
| 15 | USC | 7-12 |
| 16 | lowa | 6-13 |
| 17 | Penn State | 5-14 |
| 18 | Washington | 4-15 |
Watch NCAA Basketball on DIRECTV
From the start of the regular season to conference tournaments and all the way to the March Madness Championship game, DIRECTV has got your back, with all the channels you need to watch your favorite teams compete for the coveted title.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 2025 Men's Big Ten Conference Basketball Tournament?
March 12-16th
Where can I watch the Big Ten Basketball Tournament?
Peacock, CBS, Big Ten Network
How many teams compete in the Big Ten Basketball Tournament?
16 of the 18 Big Ten teams will compete in the Conference Tournament.
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