Final Four: Can The Big Ten Finally Win It All Again?

Article By Larry Henry Last Updated: Apr 1^st, 2026 · 2 min read

Final Four: Can The Big Ten Finally Win It All Again?

The Final Four basketball games this weekend could end a national title drought for men’s March Madness teams from the Big Ten and the Western part of the country.

Of the four college teams facing off Saturday for a shot at the national title, two are from the Big Ten (Michigan and Illinois), and one is from a state in the far West (Arizona, a Big 12 team). The other Final Four team, Connecticut, is from the Big East.

If Michigan or Illinois win it all on Monday, that would be the first March Madness men’s title for a Big Ten school since Michigan State won it in 2000. A current Big Ten team, Maryland, won it in 2002, when the Terrapins were in the ACC.

The drought out West has been going on a little longer. No team west of Baylor University (Waco, Texas) or the University of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas) has won the D1 national basketball title since the University of Arizona in 1997.

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Betting Odds

Below are the betting lines from FanDuel for the 2026 Final Four:

Game Odds

Saturday, April 4

Illinois -2.5 vs. UConn (6:09 p.m. ET on TNT, TBS)
Michigan -1.5 vs. Arizona (8:49 p.m. ET on TNT, TBS)

National Title Odds

Michigan +155
Arizona +170
Illinois +400
UConn +700

National Rankings

Below are national rankings from kenpom.com, including overall national rankings and national rankings on defense and offense.

1. Michigan (No. 1 DRtg, No. 5 ORtg)
2. Arizona (No. 2 DRtg, No. 4 ORtg)
4. Illinois (No. 20 DRtg, No. 1 ORtg)
9. UConn (No. 9 DRtg, No. 28 ORtg)

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