Big Ten Basketball - New 2024 Schedule and Tournament Format
It looks like the new format for Big Ten Basketball (men's and women's) is leaking out.
- Keeping with a 20 game schedule
- Teams 16-18 do not make the Big Ten Tournament
- BTT stays at 5 days
- No mention of how they will decide which three teams you play twice during the regular season. I assume the protected rivalries will remain in place.
In my opinion, this is fine. If you're going to have an 18 team basketball conferenced without divisions, I don't see what else you could have really done. I still like Brian's "Scottish Premier League" suggestion from years ago. With 18 teams, you figure out some way to play 12 fairly split games, then split top nine and bottom nine and play the teams in your group a second time. Best record in the top nine is the champion.
January 26th, 2024 at 2:33 PM ^
These new conferences are so dumb.
I enjoy the idea of Michigan playing the teams they will play in basketball and football, but the actual leagues themselves are so idiotic because of the number of teams and limitations on games that it makes me think it would be better if Michigan were just an independent school like Notre Dame and created a similarly structured schedule.
January 26th, 2024 at 2:37 PM ^
Michigan's not making the Big Dance this year. And to follow up, Michigan might not make the B1G Dance next year.
January 26th, 2024 at 2:47 PM ^
Why wouldn't you do 16 in the tournament? 15 is a strange choice.
January 26th, 2024 at 2:56 PM ^
The only thing I can think is that they didn't want someone who finished in the top 9 (ie top half of the league) to have to play 5 days? That's all I got. You could do it with 16 teams over 5 days
- Wednesday
- 9/16, 10/15, 11/14, 12/13
- Thursday
- 8 vs 9/16, 7 vs 10/15, 6 vs 11/14, 5 vs 12/13
- Friday
- 1 vs 8/9/16, 2 vs 7/10/15, 3 vs 6/11/14, 4 vs 5/12/13
- Saturday
- Semis
- Sunday
- Finals
January 26th, 2024 at 2:50 PM ^
So when the bball team finishes 16-18 can we finally get a real coach?
January 27th, 2024 at 7:43 AM ^
We would have to win 9 to achieve this record. I don’t see it
January 28th, 2024 at 12:30 PM ^
I think he was referencing a finish in the bottom three next year following inaction from Warde at the end of this season.
January 26th, 2024 at 3:53 PM ^
We can sell not going to a conference tournament as being traditional since it only started in 1998.
January 26th, 2024 at 4:08 PM ^
More so than ever your schedule will determine who the most successful teams are. In past years, the Big Ten has been won by teams who didn't have to play road games at Breslin, Purdue, etc. and that will be even more of an advantage now.
Just like how the Big Ten west winner was decided by who played the fewest crossover games with OSU, Michigan, and Penn State, the basketball conference champ will be the team who gets to play Iowa, Rutgers, and Michigan for 6 of their 20 games
January 26th, 2024 at 5:13 PM ^
How about two nine team divisions - everyone plays each other twice with some crossovers.
Or, maybe two separate conferences…
Oh, they might not like this idea…