Last time Big Ten won March Madness: Revisiting 2000 Michigan State and the 26-year drought since

Last time Big Ten won March Madness: Revisiting 2000 Michigan State and the 26-year drought since originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . When discussing collegiate sports, the term "Power 4" is often used.

It refers to the four dominant, most prominent conferences that feature the best teams across most NCAA sports, notably being football and men's basketball. The Big Ten has long been considered one of those power conferences, partially for its annual prowess in men's basketball. Every year, the Big Ten sends plenty of teams to the NCAA Tournament.

Plenty of elite players ever have passed through the conference in the last few decades, from one-and-done stars like Greg Oden (Ohio State) and Ace Bailey (Rutgers), to players with more sustained college success like Evan Turner (Ohio State), Zach Edey (Purdue) and Luka Garza (Michigan). However, it's been a quarter-century since a Big Ten team last cut down the nets as the March Madness winner. The other three Power 4 conferences — the SEC, Big 12 and ACC — have all had plenty of champions since then.

Here's a look at the Big Ten's last NCAA Tournament win and a breakdown of the conference's drought. MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more Last time Big Ten won March Madness The last time a Big Ten team was cutting down the nets as the victor of the NCAA Tournament was in 2000, when Michigan State won its second title in program history. The Spartans took down the Florida Gators in the 2000 championship game in Indianapolis, pulling out an 89-76 victory.