Big Ten Announces Sites for Football Championship, Conference Basketball Tournaments
The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday that the Big Ten Football Championship Game will remain at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis through 2024, and the Big Ten Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments will be moving to the Target Center in Minneapolis.
The women's tournament will be held in the Minnesota capital in 2023, with the men's tournament to follow in 2024. It will be the first time ever that the Big Ten men's tournament will be held in Minneapolis.
"We are thrilled to bring marquee conference events such as the Big Ten Football Championship Game and the Big Ten Basketball Tournaments to world-class cities and venues within the conference footprint,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said in a release. “Indianapolis and Minneapolis each have a strong history and tradition of hosting some of the world’s premier events in cities that feature an exceptional base of Big Ten Conference alumni and fans."
The Big Ten football championship game has been held in Indianapolis dating back to the 2011 season. In 2021, Michigan won its first-ever title game to become the fifth conference program to claim a victory in the contest.
When the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament tips off at the Target Center in Minneapolis, it will be the first time the event has taken place outside of Indianapolis since 2015. Eight different programs have hoisted the conference tournament title trophy, including Iowa, which won its fourth championship in 2022.
Since its inception in 1998, the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament has been held in four different cities, including Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago and Indianapolis. Seven different conference programs have won the event in that span, including Iowa's third title in 2022.
In 2023, the men's tournament will take place at the United Center in Chicago. Both the men's and women's tournaments will be held in the Twin Cities in 2024.
“We are proud to carry the tradition of Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball excellence to Minneapolis,” Minnesota Sports and Events CEO Wendy Blackshaw said. “After this year's sold-out NCAA Women’s Final Four, hosting the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament in 2023, and the Big Ten men’s and women’s tournaments in 2024 will continue to fuel Minnesota’s reputation as a true basketball state. With our terrific partners, especially Target Center and its state-of-the-art venue, we can't wait to welcome more basketball fans to our great state."
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.