All articles tagged with #big ten
The No. 8 Nebraska softball team rolled to a 5-0 win at Wisconsin, powered by Alexis Jensen’s 10 strikeouts in a complete game as the Huskers limited the Badgers to two hits; Jordy Frahm belted a triple and a double, Kacie Hoffmann drove in two runs, and Jesse Farrell hit a solo homer to boost Nebraska to 31-6 overall and 12-1 in the Big Ten, with a rematch scheduled for the next day.
Michigan freshman Trey McKenney is returning for his sophomore season after averaging 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 22.1 minutes per game as a freshman and earning All-Big Ten Freshman honors. He drilled 12 threes in the NCAA Tournament, including a clutch late shot against UConn, and is expected to inhabit a larger role in 2026-27. He’s the second Wolverine to announce a return, joining starting point guard Elliot Cadeau.
After earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors, Elliot Cadeau will return to Michigan for his senior season, posting 10.5 points, 5.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game and improving his 3-point shooting as the Wolverines aim to contend in the Big Ten.
Wrigley Field will host its first-ever volleyball games on Sept. 6, 2026, a women’s college doubleheader featuring Nebraska vs. Missouri and Penn State vs. Kentucky as part of the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week. The matches, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. and broadcast on FOX, will see a volleyball court erected in center field, continuing a trend of showcasing the sport in non-traditional venues.
Dylan Carey went 4-for-4 with a homer and four RBI to become Nebraska’s all-time doubles leader as No. 24 Nebraska rolled to a 12-4 win over Indiana at Hawks Field to complete the series sweep. The Huskers piled up 12 runs on 16 hits, six players had multi-hit games, and Cooper Katskee earned the win (4-0) over six innings as Nebraska improved to 22-6 overall and 8-1 in the Big Ten.
Arizona and Illinois reach the Final Four for the first time in decades, joined by Michigan and UConn, signaling a rare Big Ten shot at a title and highlighting the coaches’ long journeys and the fan-driven drama of March Madness.
Four Big Ten programs—Michigan, Purdue, Illinois and Iowa—advanced to the NCAA regional finals (Elite Eight), giving the conference the March Madness spotlight as SEC representation narrows and underscoring a potential conference-dominant finish this season.
Big Ten teams claimed six Sweet 16 spots after a dramatic second round, highlighted by Iowa’s last-second upset of Florida; Texas is the only double-digit seed left, while Kentucky and Kansas were eliminated, signaling a chaotic but conference-dominated weekend.
Michigan earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Hockey Tournament after capturing the Big Ten title, drawing Bentley in the Albany regional opener on March 27. The Wolverines (29-7-1) will face Bentley after securing the automatic bid, with Penn State and Minnesota Duluth meeting in the other semifinal before a regional final winner advances to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas. Michigan’s tournament pedigree is storied, with 42 appearances (tied for most), nine national championships, and 28 Frozen Four appearances, the latest chapters in a long history of success.
Six Big Ten teams—Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Iowa—advance to the Sweet 16, with Iowa stunning No. 1 Florida to fuel a possible title bid, while the ACC is down to Duke as the lone survivor after most teams falter; other notable moments include St. John’s Dylan Darling’s buzzer-beater over Kansas, Purdue’s balanced win over Miami, Iowa State’s defeat of Kentucky, and Tennessee marching to a fourth straight Sweet 16.
Michigan erased a 3-3 second-period tie, scoring five unanswered goals to beat No. 19 Ohio State 7-3 at Yost and win the Big Ten Tournament on home ice, marking a fourth conference title and a 13-0 all-time record as the tournament’s No. 2 seed. T.J. Hughes earned tournament MVP honors with a goal and three points, and freshman goalie Jack Ivankovic went 3-0 in the tournament with 25 saves. The Wolverines outshot OSU 29-28 and dominated the faceoff circle (47-22), and the win secures the NCAA top-overall seed for Michigan with region selections announced Sunday.
Anonymous Big Ten coaches say Purdue’s Big Ten Tournament title, plus Oscar Cluff’s improved post play and a sharp supporting cast around Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn, makes the Boilers a credible national-title threat, a view echoed by Clark Kellogg who predicted a title run. The buzz comes after Purdue’s mid-season wobble and a strong finish that rekindled championship optimism.
Michigan edged Wisconsin 68-65 in the Big Ten tournament semifinals as Yaxel Lendeborg hit a 3 with 0.3 seconds left for the winner; Wisconsin’s Austin Rapp poured in 18 in the second half and Nick Boyd tied the game with a late 3, but Michigan held on, with CBS announcers Ian Eagle and Bill Raftery delivering the dramatic calls ahead of a Big Ten Championship showdown with Purdue.
With Selection Sunday approaching, Michigan is projected as a top seed in most NCAA bracket forecasts, frequently a No. 1 seed in the Midwest with Buffalo hosting the opening weekend and a Chicago Round of 32 path ahead. Yet projections vary: Duke is often the No. 1 overall seed, while Bracket Matrix has Michigan No. 2 overall behind Duke; outlets differ on opponents (UConn, Houston, Iowa State, Alabama among other top seeds) and exact seedings. Purdue’s Big Ten title game could still influence seeds, but Michigan’s bracket outlook remains favorable.
Purdue used a strong second-half surge to defeat Michigan 80-72 and capture the Big Ten Tournament title, as Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn heated up. After the loss, Nimari Burnett and Aday Mara discussed lessons to carry into the NCAA Tournament and the need to be more physical, while coach Dusty May praised Purdue’s performance and outlined adjustments for a fast upcoming turnaround.