Will the Big Ten’s 21-year national title drought end next month?

Carron J. Phillips|published: Wed 10th March, 17:36 2021

The Big Ten hasn’t won a title in this long. source: Getty Images

On April 3, the national championship trophy inside of the Breslin Center at Michigan State University will be old enough to drink. When that day arrives in three weeks, it will mark 21 years since the Spartans, led by Mateen Cleaves, won their last national title.

It also means it’s the last time any team from the Big Ten has won the NCAA Tournament. According to Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology predictions — as of Wednesday — Michigan and Illinois are on track to be No. 1 seeds when the tournament starts next week, with both teams featuring Wooden Award finalists. Illinois is led by sophomore center Kofi Cockburn and junior guard Ayo Dosunmu, while Michigan freshman center Hunter Dickinson, also on the list, leads the Wolverines.

Since 2000, the Big Ten has made 16 Final Four appearances and it looks like this:

2000: Michigan State & Wisconsin

2001: Michigan State

2002: Indiana

2005: Michigan State & Illinois

2007: Ohio State

2009: Michigan State

2010: Michigan State

2012: Ohio State

2013: Michigan

2014: Wisconsin

2015: Michigan State & Wisconsin

2018: Michigan

2019: Michigan State

The title game appearances go like this:

2002: Indiana lost to Maryland by 12.

2005: Illinois lost to North Carolina by 5.

2007: Ohio State lost to Florida by 9.

2009: Michigan State lost to North Carolina by 17.

2013: Michigan lost to Louisville by 6.

2015: Wisconsin lost to Duke by 5.

2018: Michigan lost to Villanova by 17.

To compare the Big Ten to other conferences during that span, the ACC has won eight titles, the Big East seven, the SEC three, and the Big 12 one. The PAC-12 hasn’t won one since 1997 (Arizona).

Despite the number of opportunities that Big Ten teams have had, this year feels like their best chance, as the teams they’ve lost to in the past – outside of Villanova – either won’t be in the tournament (Kentucky), are on the bubble (Duke & Louisville), will be a low seed (Florida & North Carolina), or are now a member of the Big Ten, as Maryland came over from the ACC in 2014.

Cross your fingers Big Ten fans, because this is your year…maybe.