2026 Big Ten Media Days schedule, where to watch: When coaches, teams take stage

The Big Ten arrives in Chicago for media days this month carrying college football’s heavyweight belt.

Three consecutive national championships from three different programs — Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana — have flipped college football’s power structure and given the league unmatched bragging rights entering the 2026 season. That championship streak will frame every conversation inside the Hilton Chicago, where expectations are soaring across an 18-team conference loaded with legitimate playoff threats.

Curt Cignetti sits atop the summit after completing Indiana’s improbable rise, while Ryan Day, Dan Lanning and Lincoln Riley remain among the sport’s most scrutinized power brokers. Add proven program-builders such as Matt Campbell, Kyle Whittingham, Jedd Fisch and Kirk Ferentz, and there’s not a deeper collection of accomplished coaches anywhere in the country.

Big Ten Media Days are no longer simply a Midwest football gathering. This is a three-day summit for the conference currently dictating the national conversation. Quarterback battles, championship expectations and the pressure attached to several high-profile jobs will dominate the week, but the league’s central message is already obvious: The road to another national championship still runs through the Big Ten and everyone else is trying to catch up.

Here’s a look at where to watch 2026 Big Ten Media Days, along with a breakdown of the full appearance schedule ahead of the anticipated event. 

Where to watch 2026 Big Ten Media Days 

Dates: July 28-30
Location: Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue | Chicago, Illinois
TV: Big Ten Network

2026 Big Ten Media Days schedule 

All times Eastern

Thursday, July 30

Indiana (12:30 p.m.) — Curt Cignetti | Isaiah Jones, LB; Carter Smith, OL; Tyrique Tucker, DL

Maryland (12:45 p.m.) — Mike Locksley | Malik Washington, QB; Daniel Wingate, LB; Michael Hershey, OL

Michigan (1 p.m.) — Kyle Whittingham | Jordan Marshall, RB; Trey Pierce, DT; Bryce Underwood, QB

Nebraska (1:15 p.m.) — Matt Rhule | Luke Lindenmeyer, TE; Justin Evans, C;  Andrew Marshall, CB

Northwestern (1:30 p.m.) — David Braun | Robert Fitzgerald, DB; Caleb Komolafe, RB; Griffin Wilde, WR

Washington (1:45 p.m.) — Jedd Fisch | Landen Hatchett, C; Jacob Manu, ILB; Demond Williams Jr., QB

More from Big Ten Media Days 

Three national titles and counting: The biggest questions facing each Big Ten team at 2026 media days
Ohio State’s uniform patches: Nothing is sacred in college football anymore 
Day 1 takeaways: Penn State ready to contend, Tony Petitti downplays contention with SEC
Lincoln Riley could never solve Gary Patterson: Now he needs him to help save USC
Day 2 takeaways: It looks like title or bust for Ohio State, Oregon
Fact or Fiction? Is Ohio State’s running game good enough to win a national title?
College sports legislation on the brink: Big Ten, SEC await critical bill language as Senate clock winds down