Well, they did it.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 06: Head coach Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines hoists the trophy after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the National Championship of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 06, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Big Ten now holds the national championships in men’s and women’s basketball, as well as football and probably all of hockey, too. In a whistle-marred game, Michigan shot 21/55 from the field and 2/15 from deep, but did just enough as UConn hit just 9 of their 33 threes, part of a putrid 31% shooting evening for the Huskies.
This game sucked. It does, notably, bring the Big Ten to national championships in football (Indiana), women’s basketball (congratulations to UCLA), men’s basketball (Michigan), and women’s hockey (wisconsin), in addition to men’s soccer (Washington), men’s wrestling (Penn State), field hockey (Northwestern), and men’s water polo (UCLA). On the men’s hockey side, the Big Ten has two of the four semifinalists, with Michigan set to take on Denver and wisconsin facing North Dakota.
For a blog that exists to talk about things related to the Big Ten, times are good. Is it worth noting that Michigan’s whole roster came from elsewhere, much as Indiana’s did? Meh.
These are college sports now. Transfers come, transfers go. The news came out yesterday that wisconsin’s John Blackwell is transferring so he can go win championships—out are the days of development, in are the days of portaling and tampering and splashing cash for a roster.
Michigan undeniably did that better than the rest. Dusty May put together a hell of a roster, and they won almost every game in front of them. They deserve their title, and—if we’re really being honest with ourselves—we all deserve the horrible world in which Michigan fans are happy.