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UPDATE: 7:26 p.m. Official word from the Big Ten that there will be no crowds for this tournament.
UPDATE: 6:57 p.m. It looks like the Big Ten Tournament will be played without fans in Indianapolis.
The 2020 Big Ten Tournament will take place from March 11-15 from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. With as many as 12 of the 14 teams potentially reaching the NCAA Tournament, it should be the most exciting and competitive conference championship in America this year.
Maryland is the No. 1 seed as of now, but that could change several times between now and the beginning of the event, with Penn State, Michigan State, and Iowa right behind. Each league team already has three conference losses, making this one of the most balanced and difficult leagues in the country. The top four seeds will be extra-valued, as they come with a double-bye and a free pass to the quarterfinals.
The first three days of the tournament will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network, with both the semifinals and final on CBS.
March 11
Game 1: No. 13 Northwestern vs No. 12 Minnesota 6 p.m. ET
Game 2: No. 14 Nebraska vs. No. 11 Indiana 8:30 p.m. ET
March 12
Game 3: No. 9 Michigan vs. No. 8 Rutgers 12:00 p.m. ET
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs. No. 5 Iowa 2:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Purdue 6:30 p.m. ET
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. No. 6 Penn State 9:00 p.m. ET
March 13
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. No. 1 Wisconsin 12:00 p.m. ET
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. No. 4 Illinois 2:30 p.m. ET
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. No. 2 Michigan State 6:30 p.m. ET
Game 10: Game 6 winner vs. No. 3 Maryland Game 6 winner 9:00 p.m. ET
March 14
Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner 1:00 p.m. ET
Game 12: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner 3:30 p.m. ET
March 15
Championship: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner 3:30 p.m. ET
The B1G has been far and away the best conference in college basketball this season. With the possibility of a dozen teams making it to the NCAA Tournament, we could be looking at the most challenging conference tournament in the history of college basketball. Because of that competition, the advantage to the top four teams that don’t have to play until Friday is a huge edge.
The record for any conference is the Big East in 2011, which sent 11 of their 16 teams to the tournament. But that’s one of many records that might fall in Indianapolis.