It feels like it was only about 10 seconds ago that the SEC was widely considered the most dominant college sports conference in the land. In the blink of an eye, everything appears to have changed.
The Big Ten has been flexing its muscles of late, a point made clear by the conclusion of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments over the weekend.
On the men’s side, Michigan cruised to the championship, largely unchallenged until receiving a plucky tussle from Dan Hurley’s experienced UConn Huskies in the final. On the women’s side, UCLA had an even easier run, dominating South Carolina so thoroughly in the title game that it almost made us forget about Geno Auriemma’s Final Four meltdown during a postgame handshake with Dawn Staley.
Add to this the fact that the Big Ten has also won three straight championships in football, and you have to wonder: Is the Big Ten now the neighborhood bully, or is it a momentary blip on the college sports landscape?
While you consider this question, dive in and take this week’s quiz, which goes well beyond the college hardwood. And make sure you spare a moment to take on our daily Connections: Sports Edition, too.
Top stories mentioned in this week’s quiz
Apr 9, 2026
Connections: Sports Edition
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