The Big Ten Conference amassed nearly $70 million from NCAA distributions that will be paid for team appearances and performances in the 2026 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.

That is by far the most among conferences, largely because the Big Ten swept the national championships — Michigan won the men’s and UCLA the women’s — and had Illinois‘ men’s team advance to the Final Four.

The NCAA, which has multibillion-dollar broadcast deals for the two tournaments, since 1991 has rewarded conferences for their number of tournament bids and how far those teams advance in the men’s tournament. A similar system for the women’s tournament began in 2025.

For this year’s tournaments, nine men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from the Big Ten combined to make at least $69.4 million, with $63 million coming from the men’s side.

The Southeastern Conference, which had 10 teams in each tournament, totaled at least $56.2 million ($50.4 million for men, $5.8 million for women). Other distributions will total at least $42.9 million for the Big 12, $34.2 million for the Atlantic Coast Conference and $22.2 million for the Big East.

The NCAA sends payments directly to the conferences, which distribute the money among their teams according to their policies. Payments for the 2026 tournament will begin in April 2027.

Teams in each tournament earn what’s known as a “unit” for making the field of 68 and an additional unit for each round in which it appears. The national champion is awarded an extra unit. The value of a unit increases each year. A portion of revenue from the tournaments’ broadcast agreements are directed to distribution payments — 24% for the men and 41% for the women.

The estimated value of a unit for the 2026 men’s tournament will be about $350,000, an NCAA spokeswoman said, and that amount will be paid annually for six years. A single unit earned in 2026 would have a total value of at least $2.1 million over those six years and probably more because Division I distribution funds — including the basketball funds — are scheduled to increase each year, typically by 2.9%.

For the women’s tournament, full funding for units earned will be achieved in 2027. Payments for each unit earned will be made for three years rather than six. The unit value was $75,000 for 2026 and will decrease to about $63,000 next year as part of the NCAA’s formula for getting the fund fully up and running. Using $63,000 as an estimate for the 2028 value, a single unit earned in 2026 would be worth at least $201,000 by the time it is paid off over three years.

The Big Ten’s nine teams in the men’s tournament appeared in 29 games. Michigan earned $14.7 million for the conference by playing in six games and receiving a seventh unit for winning the championship. Illinois earned five units for making the Final Four ($10.5 million) and Iowa and Purdue four apiece for reaching the Elite Eight ($8.4 million each).

The Big Ten landed 12 teams in the women’s tournament, and they combined to play in 31 games. UCLA earned just over $1.4 million by playing in six games and receiving an extra unit for winning the championship. Michigan‘s four games earned $804,000 and Minnesota‘s three earned $603,000.

The championships in men’s and women’s basketball continued what has been a banner 2025-26 for the Big Ten. Indiana won the conference’s third straight College Football Playoff, and other national championships have been won in men’s wrestling (Penn State), women’s ice hockey (Wisconsin), men’s water polo (UCLA), men’s soccer (Washington) and field hockey (Northwestern).

Not everybody representing the red, white and blue sounded necessarily ecstatic about doing so in the Olympics.

Freeskier Hunter Hess said he had “mixed emotions” representing the U.S. in Milan, while skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she wanted to represent her own “values” in Milan, and it was “tough to reconcile” violence in America while “competing for medals at an Olympic event.”

But for two-time gold medalist Jordan Stolz, there were no problems.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the speedskater who won gold twice in Italy, Stolz said he paid no mind to any other athletes’ comments.

“I didn’t really pay attention to it, but I’m always happy to represent the USA,” Stolz said.

“I think we’re the best country.”

It was not just winter Olympians who shared unease about representing the United States on the grandest stage. In an interview with Fox News Digital months before the 2024 Summer Olympics, Noah Lyles said representing the U.S. was “bittersweet” and came with a “heavy heart,” saying Black people in America have “a lot to deal with.”

Noah Lyles of the United States poses after winning the gold medal in the men’s 200 meters final at the World Athletics Championships. The event took place in Tokyo on Sept. 19, 2025. (Matthias Schrader/AP)

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST DISCUSSES BALANCE BETWEEN CELEBRATING ONE VICTORY WHILE VYING FOR OTHERS

Hess said it was “a little hard” to represent the United States, because “there’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.” Those comments prompted President Donald Trump to call him a “real loser.”

“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S. I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here,” Hess said in February.

Shriffin said, “I think there’s a lot of hardship in the world globally, and there’s a lot of heartbreak. There’s a lot of violence. It can be tough to reconcile that when you’re also competing for medals at an Olympic event.”

Ahead of the World Baseball Classic, Bryce Harper, who played for Team USA, said it was “crazy” to not fully embrace wearing the Stars and Stripes.

United States Bryce Harper celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against Venezuela, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami. (Lynne Sladky/AP)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Philadelphia Phillies first baseman said no matter where one may stand politically, it is always the greatest honor to represent the United States.

“Obviously, there’s things that are going on in the country that, you know, aren’t good or people don’t believe in or whatever, right? Politics aside, for me, when you’re going and representing your country, you’re representing your country, man. Like, block all that out. It’s sports.

“We want to put something on the TV that is happy and good and just great for everybody to watch, right? So, representing your country, there’s nothing greater than representing your country. There’s really nothing at all.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Tiger Woods may be down, but his former right-hand man does not believe he is out.

Joe LaCava was Woods’ caddie when he broke his 11-year major drought and miraculously won the 2019 Masters, his first green jacket since 2005.

Woods is now 50, and in recent memory, his performances on the course have been plenty to forget.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

But LaCava, now on Patrick Cantlay’s bag, is not putting “anything” past the 15-time major champion, who certainly has a flair for the dramatic.

“He’s got anything in him, and he’s proven that. But yeah, that’s the hope for me. He’s done everything, right?” LaCava told The Athletic when asked if he could one day again contend at Augusta.

LISTEN TO CRIME & JUSTICE PODCAST ON TIGER WOODS

“He’s going to be 50-plus, I get it. But I wouldn’t put anything past the guy. So I’d never write him off.”

LaCava said he has not reached out to Woods since his DUI arrest, instead “leaving him alone and letting him figure it out for himself.”

“He’s got to help himself, which is what I’m hoping he’ll do. But I have not made any contact with him …” LaCava said.

Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Jason Oteri/AP)

JACK NICKLAUS AND GARY PLAYER RALLY BEHIND TIGER WOODS AS HE SEEKS TREATMENT AFTER DUI ARREST

“He’s got enough people probably texting him and hounding him, right? I don’t need to bother him. I care greatly about him. I’m not p—-d at him. He knows that. He knows that I care deeply about him. He’s got enough stuff going on, so I’m sure we’ll communicate once he’s back home. I’m assuming he doesn’t have access to his phone anyway.”

In 14 majors since his last victory, he has failed to muster a top 20 finish. It’s his longest such streak since failing to finish in the top 20 in the first six majors of his career in 1995 and 1996. In his last 26 majors, he has only four top 20 finishes.

Since finishing tied for ninth at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, his best finish in his 18 official events since then has been a tie for 37th at the 2020 PGA Championship.

He has not competed since 2024, when he competed in just five events — the Genesis Invitational and the four majors. He withdrew from the Genesis, finished dead last in the Masters and missed the cut in the other majors.

Tiger Woods celebrates during the trophy presentation after winning the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019, in Augusta, Georgia. (Allen Eyestone/The Augusta Chronicle Syndication: Palm Beach Post)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Woods ruptured his Achilles last year just before the Masters, returning from the injury in the The Golf League championship just four days before his arrest.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.