2026-27 Big Ten basketball schedule: Illinois vs. Michigan State, USC vs. UCLA among five top conference games

The Big Ten released its full conference schedule with dates on Wednesday, giving college basketball fans a clearer view of when the top matchups for the 2026–27 season will occur. After the Big Ten sent two teams to the Final Four — including reigning national champion Michigan — the conference title race will be one of the biggest storylines to monitor.

Michigan's team will look completely different than it did five months ago in Indianapolis. The Wolverines lost four starters from their national title team and former Michigan coach Dusty May made one of the most shocking moves of the coaching carousel by jumping to the NBA on the eve of the 2026 NBA Draft.

While Michigan's roster will look different, several familiar faces from the conference are returning. Illinois reached the Final Four for the first time since 2005 and returns the nucleus of its roster, headlined by David Mirković, Andrej Stojaković and Tomislav Ivišić. Michigan State brings back Jeremy Fears Jr., who led the country in assists per game (9.4) and will likely be the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year.

While Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois are expected to be the top contenders in the conference…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/