With 6 Teams In Sweet 16, Big Ten Seeks First NCAA Title Since 2000
The Big Ten has six men's basketball teams in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16, more than any league. The Big Ten hasn't won a national title since Michigan State in 2000.
Michigan State forward Coen Carr (55) gives a high-five to head coach Tom Izzo after scoring a 3-point basket against Louisville during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Buffalo, N. Y. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) Copyright 2026 The Associated Press.
All rights reserved. On April 3, 2000, Tom Izzo led Michigan State to the NCAA men’s basketball championship in his fifth season as head coach. Izzo, a Naismith Hall of Famer, is still in the same role.
He’s made six more Final Fours. Still, the Spartans have not won another national title. Neither has any other Big Ten Conference school during that stretch.
This season, the streak could end, as the Big Ten has six programs in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16, the most of any league. The SEC is next with four teams, followed by the Big 12 with three, the Big East with two and the ACC with one. Since Michigan State won the title 26 years ago, the Big Ten has had a team in the Final Four in 13 of the past 24 tournaments, including national runner-ups in 2002 (Indiana), 2005 (Illinois), 2007 (Ohio State), 2009 (Michigan State), 2013 (Michigan), 2015 (Wisconsin), 2018 (Michigan) and 2024 (Purdue).
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