Big Ten Dominates First Night of Sweet 16

The Big Ten has been dominant throughout the NCAA tournament, and it became all the more pronounced on the first night in the Sweet 16.

Trey Kaufman-Renn #4 of the Purdue Boilermakers shoots the game winning shot against the Texas Longhorns during the second half during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 26, 2026. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

It’s the Big Ten’s world, and everyone else is living it when it comes to men’s college basketball on the first night of the Sweet 16.

Iowa, Illinois, and Purdue all advanced on March 26. Arizona was the lone team from another conference to win. Only two other teams from different conferences played in those four games.