The Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since 1998. The winner of the tournament is designated the Big Ten Tournament Champion, and receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The Big Ten was one of the last NCAA Division I college basketball conferences to start a tournament. The finals of the tournament are typically held immediately before the field for the NCAA tournament is announced.
The tournaments have been held at neutral sites. The first tournaments were held at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Beginning in 2002, the tournament alternated between the United Center and the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 2008, the tournament began a five-year residence in Indianapolis. On June 5, 2011, the Big Ten announced that the tournament will revert to an alternating between Indianapolis and Chicago. The 2013 and 2015 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournaments will be played at the United Center in Chicago and the 2014 and 2016 tournaments will be played in Indianapolis.
On four occasions, the champion of the tournament has gone on to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament (Michigan State in 1999 and 2000, Illinois in 2005, Ohio State in 2007). In 2000, champion Michigan State won the NCAA Tournament.
Read more about Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament: Vacated Results
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