Last time Big Ten won March Madness: Revisiting 2000 Michigan State and 26-year drought before 2026 Michigan

Last time Big Ten won March Madness: Revisiting 2000 Michigan State and 26-year drought before 2026 Michigan 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, until April 2026, it had 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.

The Michigan Wolverines ' championship victory over UConn in the 2026 bracket broke a historic drought for the Big Ten. Here's a look at the Big Ten's last NCAA Tournament win prior to 2026 Michigan and a breakdown of the conference's 26-year drought that was snapped. MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more Last time Big Ten won March Madness Prior to Michigan in 2026, 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.