As the college baseball season heats up, the race for the 2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament is entering the final stretch. UCLA enters postseason play as the nation’s No. 1 team, while USC, Oregon and Nebraska continue to battle among the top programs in college baseball heading into Omaha.
From live games and tournament coverage to highlights, analysis and player features, the Big Ten Network is your destination for every stage of the Big Ten baseball postseason.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament schedule, bracket format, TV channels and the road to the Men’s College World Series.
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How to Watch the Big Ten Network
Fans can watch Big Ten baseball games throughout the regular season and postseason on the Big Ten Network (BTN), including complete coverage of the 2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament.
Big Ten Network is available on DIRECTV channel 610 and is included with select DIRECTV packages, including CHOICE Signature and MySports.
2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Schedule, Bracket & TV Information
The 2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament takes place May 19–24 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. Every game of the tournament will air live on the Big Ten Network (BTN).
Below is the complete 2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament bracket and full game schedule, including matchup information, start times and TV channels for every round leading up to the championship game.
2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Bracket
Check out the Big Ten Baseball Tournament bracket right here:
2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Schedule
The tournament opens Tuesday, May 19 with opening-round games between seeds No. 5 through No. 12 before the conference’s top four seeds enter the field on Friday, May 22.
All times listed in Eastern Time (ET). Schedule subject to change.
Double Elimination Bracket
| Date | Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
| Tuesday, May 19 | G1 | No. 5 Purdue vs. No. 12 Michigan State | 10 a.m. | BTN |
| Tuesday, May 19 | G2 | No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Illinois | 2 p.m. | BTN |
| Tuesday, May 19 | G3 | No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 10 Rutgers | 6 p.m. | BTN |
| Tuesday, May 19 | G4 | No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Washington | 10 p.m. | BTN |
| Wednesday, May 20 | G5 | G1 loser vs. G2 loser | 10 a.m. | BTN |
| Wednesday, May 20 | G6 | G3 loser vs. G4 loser | 2 p.m. | BTN |
| Wednesday, May 20 | G7 | G1 winner vs. G2 winner | 6 p.m. | BTN |
| Wednesday, May 20 | G8 | G3 winner vs. G4 winner | 10 p.m. | BTN |
| Thursday, May 21 | G9 | G5 winner vs. G7 loser | 3 p.m. | BTN |
| Thursday, May 21 | G10 | G6 winner vs. G8 loser | 7 p.m. | BTN |
Single Elimination Bracket
| Date | Game | Matchup | Time | TV |
| Friday, May 22 | G11 | No. 4 USC vs. G7 winner | 10 a.m. | BTN |
| Friday, May 22 | G12 | No. 1 UCLA vs. G9 winner | 2 p.m. | BTN |
| Friday, May 22 | G13 | No. 2 Nebraska vs. G10 winner | 6 p.m. | BTN |
| Friday, May 22 | G14 | No. 3 Oregon vs. G8 winner | 10 p.m. | BTN |
| Saturday, May 23 | G15 | G11 winner vs. G12 winner | 3 p.m. | BTN |
| Saturday, May 23 | G16 | G13 winner vs. G14 winner | 7 p.m. | BTN |
| Sunday, May 24 | G17 | G15 winner vs. G16 winner | 3 p.m. | BTN |
2026 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Format
This season, the Big Ten has unveiled its third new postseason tournament format in as many years. This postseason format combines double-elimination and single-elimination play, creating one of the more unique conference tournament structures in college baseball.
Seeds No. 5 through No. 12 begin the tournament in an opening double-elimination stage, where teams must survive multiple rounds to advance. The four remaining teams then move into a single-elimination bracket against the conference’s top four seeds: UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon and USC.
Because the top seeds receive byes directly into the quarter final stage, regular season performance carries major postseason advantages. Meanwhile, lower-seeded teams must navigate a much longer road to win the conference championship and secure the Big Ten’s automatic berth into the NCAA Baseball Tournament.
Nebraska enters Omaha seeking its third consecutive Big Ten Tournament title, while No. 1 UCLA looks to cap its dominant season with a conference championship.
Stream MCWS with DIRECTV
The 2026 Men’s College World Series is scheduled for June 12–22 at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. You can watch all the action live on DIRECTV across ESPN Networks and ESPN Unlimited.
Frequently asked questions
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