2026 Big Ten Media Days schedule, where to watch: When coaches, players take stage during three-day event
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- 2026 Big Ten Media Days run July 28-30 at the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue, with all coverage on Big Ten Network.
- The conference enters carrying three consecutive national championships from three different programs — Michigan, Ohio State, and Indiana — giving it "unmatched bragging rights" entering the season.
- Curt Cignetti sits atop the summit after completing Indiana's rise, joined by scrutinized peers Ryan Day, Dan Lanning, and Lincoln Riley as the league's most-watched power brokers.
- Michigan appears Thursday at 1 p.m. ET with new head coach Kyle Whittingham and players Jordan Marshall (RB), Trey Pierce (DT), and quarterback Bryce Underwood.
- The Thursday afternoon slate (12:30-1:45 p.m. ET) also features Indiana, Maryland (Mike Locksley), Nebraska (Matt Rhule), Northwestern (David Braun), and Washington (Jedd Fisch), each sending a head coach and three-player delegation.
- Dante Moore turned down $55 million from the NFL to stay at Oregon, then "shut off his phone and went golfing," per the source's related coverage.
- The conference now spans 18 teams with "legitimate playoff threats," making this a championship-or-bust summit rather than a routine preseason kickoff.
Why it matters: The Big Ten now treats media days as a championship summit for 18 teams, with Michigan's Thursday debut of new coach Kyle Whittingham and five-star QB Bryce Underwood signaling the program's reset. Indiana's Cignetti and Oregon's Moore storyline give the event built-in headlines beyond routine program updates.
