In 1939, the first ever NCAA tournament was played with just eight teams, where Oregon came out on top. Fast forward 80 years and that number has ballooned to 68 teams, many of which will play in one of the 32 Division 1 basketball conferences. The Big Ten is just one of those 32 tournaments occurring through March, to determine which team will go to the NCAA Basketball championship selection show just days later. Are your favorite teams in the Big Ten Conference? Need to watch them but you don’t have cable? Read on to find out how.
When Is the Big Ten Tournament? What Channels Are Streaming the Big Ten Tournament?
The Big Ten is just one of countless tournaments flooding the sports channels and programming through the month of March. With all this March Madness, it’ll be good to know exactly when the Big Ten games are playing and where you can find them. Here are the details:
Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Schedule
| Round | Teams | Date | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| First (Game 1) |
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin (65-57) | 5:30 CT on 3/8/23 | Big Ten Network |
| First (Game 2) |
Minnesota vs. Nebraska (78-75) | 25 minutes after Game 1 | Big Ten Network |
| Second (Game 3) |
Rutgers vs. Michigan | 11:30 a.m. CT on 3/9/23 | Big Ten Network |
| Second (Game 4) |
Ohio State vs. Iowa | 25 minutes after Game 3 | Big Ten Network |
| Second (Game 5) |
Penn State vs. Illinois | 5:30 p.m. CT on 3/9/22 | Big Ten Network |
| Second (Game 6) |
Minnesota vs. Maryland | 25 minutes after Game 5 | Big Ten Network |
| Quarterfinals (Game 7) |
Game 3 Winner vs. Purdue | 11 a.m. CT on 3/10/23 | Big Ten Network |
| Quarterfinals (Game 8) |
Game 4 Winner vs. Michigan State | 25 minutes after Game 7 | Big Ten Network |
| Quarterfinals (Game 9) |
Game 5 Winner vs. Northwestern | 5:30 p.m. CT on 3/10/23 | Big Ten Network |
| Quarterfinals (Game 10) |
Game 6 Winner vs. Indiana | 25 minutes after Game 9 | Big Ten Network |
| Semifinals (Game 11) |
Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner | 12 p.m. CT on 3/11/23 | CBS |
| Semifinals (Game 12) |
Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner | 25 minutes after Game 11 | CBS |
| Championship | Semifinal winners | 2:30 p.m. CT on 3/12/23 | CBS |
How to Watch the Big Ten Tournament Online and Over the Air Without Cable
To watch teams like Penn State, Michigan State, or whichever teams may end up in the championship, you’ll need access to a couple of different channels: Big Ten Network and CBS. If you don’t have cable, you can watch CBS free over the air (more on that later). But to tune in to the Big Ten Network, you’ll need a streaming service. Here’s where you can find both channels.
Big Ten Network: Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, fuboTV, and YouTube TV
CBS: Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV, and YouTube TV
Both Big Ten and CBS are very popular channels among sports fans, so you’ll be happy to know they’re available via several streaming services.
Hulu’s live TV streaming service plus its on-demand content lets you enjoy all of that time sensitive programming like sporting events while binging on your favorite on-demand content that’s not so time sensitive (unless you have a friend who’s a notorious spoiler). If you’re interested in learning more, check out our latest review of the Hulu + Live TV service.
Sling TV offers a lot for sports fans and keeps adding new coverage. You'll find Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, ESPN, Big Ten Network, and tons of other sports options. Read more about Sling TV in our review.
The ultimate streaming dream for sports lovers, fuboTV provides live coverage for a wide variety of sports, not the least of which is basketball, both college and professional. When you’re all basketballed out and you just can’t digest anymore sports, not to worry. The fuboTV service has plenty of entertainment and news programming to keep your viewing heart content for sometime. Check ou fuboTV’s full channel lineup to see if your favorites are included.
YouTube TV
On par with Hulu + Live TV and fuboTV in both selection and service is YouTube TV — Google’s answer to live streaming TV. You’ll find all the major entertainment, news, and specialty programming, including sports, and more specifically, basketball coverage on channels like Big Ten Network and CBS.
Free Over-the-Air TV
If you’re most concerned about the Big Ten championship game, or even the semifinals, you can catch them for free on CBS. Any network that uses its own broadcast towers (think CBS, ABC, FOX, etc.) can be tuned into using a good quality TV antenna and Free Over-the-Air TV.
Can I watch the Big Ten Tournament on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, or Chromecast?
With 13 games to watch in the Big Ten tournament, you may be relieved to know you don’t have to be glued to the TV to view your favorite teams go head to head. You can watch Big Ten games on your tablet, smartphone, or other smart devices.
| Roku | Fire TV | Apple TV | Android TV | Chromecast | iOS | Android | Web browser | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| fuboTV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| YouTube TV | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
More College Basketball to Watch Online
Chances are if you’re watching the Big Ten tournament there’s a few other conference championships you’ll want to get in on like the Pac-12, ACC, or Big East tournaments. Coverage doesn’t just stop at the games though. Tune into the FS1 channel, ESPN channel, or ESPN Plus service for more basketball analysis, commentary and news. Bonus! The Women’s NCAA tournaments are streaming on ESPN in addition to more NCAA basketball.