Big Ten Conference experts, read

[hello there]

Hi,
I have a question for u NCAA basketball people....

I was wondering, when did the Big Ten basketball conference install their conference tourney at the end of the season?? Was it 97-98, 98-99, 99-00, or the 00-01 season?? Most people i talk to says 98-99, some say 99-00, however, I checked the records back in 97-98 season and Illinois played Wisconsin three times, and Purdue three times, so they must have started the Big Ten conference tourney in 97-98 right? The first game they played Wisconsin was in January so the conference already started and they went on to play Wisconsin 2 more times after that so the third time they played Wisconsin had to be in a conference tourney game right? Exact same scenario against Purdue that same season. So again, it has to be in 97-98 right or am I reading into this wrong?? Where are the Big Ten experts, i need your help here.

Illinois Fighting Illini 1997-98 Season
3/7/1998 Home Purdue
3/6/1998 Home Wisconsin <----3rd game vs Wisconsin (This game is the conf tourney game or reg seas game?)
2/24/1998 Away Indiana
2/22/1998 Home Iowa
2/18/1998 Home Northwestern
2/14/1998 Away Purdue
2/12/1998 Home Michigan State
2/7/1998 Away Wisconsin <---2nd game vs Wisconsin
2/4/1998 Home Minnesota
1/31/1998 Away Penn State
1/28/1998 Away Ohio State
1/25/1998 Home Michigan
1/21/1998 Home Wisconsin <----1st game vs Wisconsin
1/17/1998 Away Michigan State
1/13/1998 Home Purdue
1/10/1998 Away Northwestern
1/8/1998 Away Iowa
1/3/1998 Home Indiana
games before Jan. I did not list.


Also, besides the Pac 10 and Big Ten, anyone knows if any other "major" conferences installed a conference tourney at the end of the season in the last 5 years??

Thanks, if anyone knows there college hoops(especially the Big Ten), I'd appreciate it a lot.

 

[Big Daddy]

The first Big 10 Tournament was held at the end of the 1997-1998 season. Although the schedule that you have shows the games against Wisconsin (won by Illinois 66-61) and Purdue (won by Purdue 68-47) to be home games, the games were actually played at the United Center in Chicago. United Center continued to host the annual tournament until last season, when it moved to Indianapolis.

 

[hello there]

Thanks Big Daddy, much appreciated.