Big Ten representative Michigan had just finished off Alabama to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight when coach Dusty May was asked about his top‑seeded Wolverines becoming the latest Big Ten program to knock out an SEC opponent. His answer came with a grin and a reminder of how quickly the sport shifts.
ALL SPORTS ALL THE TIME – SPORTS TALK FLORIDA
“You know, college basketball has been cyclical forever,” May said after Michigan’s 90‑77 win in the Midwest Region semifinals. “Hopefully this is a long cycle for us in the conference.”
For now, the Big Ten is owning the moment. A year after the SEC dominated the March conversation, the Big Ten has flipped the script with a league‑record six Sweet 16 teams and now four in the Elite Eight, tying the all‑time tournament mark. The conference is guaranteed at least one Final Four spot thanks to an all‑Big Ten showdown in the South Region final, where No. 3 Illinois meets No. 9 Iowa — the Hawkeyes fresh off their upset of defending national champion Florida.
Purdue Might Be A Sleeper
No other conference has more than one team still standing this weekend, a shift that Purdue coach Matt Painter says reflects the depth and talent the league has built.
“The talent in our league is very good,” Painter said Friday as his Boilermakers prepared for top‑seeded Arizona in the West Region final. “I think you’re seeing that here in the tournament. Like very good. I think it’s been about as good as it’s been for a long, long time.”
The numbers back him up. Only three conferences had ever placed four teams in the Elite Eight since the field expanded in 1985 — the Big East in 2009, the ACC in 2016 and the SEC last year. Now the Big Ten joins that group after previously reaching three Elite Eight teams four times, most recently in 2014. Michigan State nearly made it five before falling in a tight battle with UConn on Friday night.
Better Than The SEC, ACC AND Big 12
Last March, the SEC set records with 14 bids and seven Sweet 16 teams. This time, the Big Ten has taken center stage, with four of its teams knocking out SEC opponents along the way — including Purdue over Texas and Michigan’s win against Alabama.
And the league could add one more to that list. Michigan now turns its attention to Tennessee in Sunday’s Midwest Region final, a matchup that will determine who heads to Indianapolis for the Final Four.
Sunday’s regional final schedule sets up a massive day for college basketball fans. Michigan faces Tennessee at 2 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+, followed by UConn against Michigan State at 5:05 p.m., completing a slate that could further elevate the Big Ten’s postseason run.
