The Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since 1998. The winner of the tournament is designated the Big Ten Tournament Champion, and receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The Big Ten was one of the last NCAA Division I college basketball conferences to start a tournament. The finals of the tournament are typically held immediately before the field for the NCAA tournament is announced.