UCLA is set to enter its third season in the Big Ten, following a sophomore campaign in which the program captured three NCAA championships – the most of any Big Ten school. The conference as a whole saw 11 national titles to its name in the most recent competitive cycle. Daily Bruin Sports will preview the football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and other top programs of each Big Ten rival.

Football
2025 record: 16-0, 9-0 Big Ten, national champion
Coach: Curt Cignetti
Player to watch: Josh Hoover

In September 2023, Indiana football was beginning what would be a 3-9 season.

Now, three years later, coach Curt Cignetti has turned the Hoosiers around.

Led by 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, Indiana completed a perfect 2025 season, walking away with the national title Jan. 19.

Despite losing Mendoza – the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the squad enters the year ranked No. 6 in the country, receiving eight first place votes.

Replacing Mendoza as quarterback is Josh Hoover, who made the move to Bloomington from TCU for his fifth year of eligibility. Hoover threw for 3,472 yards in 2025 off a 65.9% completion rate. His 29 passing touchdowns – paired with only 13 interceptions – tied for No. 9 in the country.

Through his collegiate career, Hoover has appeared in 35 games and started 31, so his experience as a leader in a Power Four program will make his transition to the Hoosiers easier.

Another key transfer for Cignetti’s squad is former Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh. Last season, Marsh led the Spartans in total receptions and total yards, tallying marks of 59 and 662, respectively, including a seven reception, 77-yard performance against UCLA on Oct. 11.

On the rushing side, running backs Turbo Richard and Khobie Martin are expected to be crucial. Richard transferred after two seasons with Boston College, where he tallied 145 carries for 749 yards in his 11 starts as a sophomore.

Martin sat third in Indiana’s 2025 running back squad in carries and yards with marks of 77 and 506, respectively. With the two players ahead of him on the depth chart joining the NFL, Martin will be expected to fill a bigger role than last season.

Defensively, the Hoosiers have a handful of returners looking to hold down the fort once more.

Linebacker Rolijah Hardy returns to Bloomington after leading Cignetti’s squad in tackles last season, recording 102 total across 16 games. He also boasted eight sacks for 41 lost yards, the first of which led Indiana.

Edge rusher Stephen Daley, who played on the defensive line last season, will return to the field after missing the College Football Playoff last season because of injury. Despite making only six starts, he sat fourth on the squad in sacks, boasting 5.5 sacks for 46 lost yards – the most on the team.

Also returning is defensive back Amare Ferrell, who sat second on the team for interceptions with four through the year. The All-Big Ten Second Team media selection has had eight interceptions through the past two seasons and is looking to continue to be a threat in the secondary.

Despite the key loss of Mendoza, the transfers and returners in Bloomington could make Indiana a title-contending team again. Should Hoover be able to take over the way Mendoza did, the No. 6 squad in the country could be on the up and up once more.

Men’s basketball
2025-26 record: 18-14, 9-11 Big Ten
Coach: Darian DeVries
Player to watch: Markus Burton

Last season, a double-overtime loss to Indiana ruined UCLA’s undefeated streak at home.

This year, many of the faces that walked off the court victorious are gone.

The Hoosiers lost their top seven scorers from the 2025-26 season, with the highest returning scorer – forward Trent Sisley – averaging just 4.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season.

Because of this, coach Darian DeVries will be rebuilding his team around transfers.

The top transfer to join the squad is guard Markus Burton, who arrives from Notre Dame. Averaging 18.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists through the year, Burton will be expected to step into the role of the keystone player.

Burton’s court vision, three years in the ACC and efficient shooting – 48.9% from the field – will allow him to immediately impact an Indiana team that is starting from ground zero.

Also joining the program is former Georgia Tech guard Jaeden Mustaf. Another former ACC competitor, Mustaf averaged 10.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists on a 38.9% clip from behind the arc. With 14 games shooting 50-plus percent from the 3-point line, his consistency from deep will be crucial for the Hoosiers.

Guard Bryce Lindsay is coming to Bloomington after a year with Villanova, making Indiana his fourth school in as many years. During his most recent campaign, he averaged 12.3 points and 2.1 rebounds and assists per game. With 31 starts in 33 games last year, he will likely be ready to contribute to the level required of him in the Big Ten.

Taking over a big part of the rebounding duties is Alabama transfer forward Aiden Sherrell, who averaged 11.1 points and 6.2 rebounds on a 53.9% clip. His two seasons in the SEC will allow him to transition smoothly to Big Ten play.

Another key player on the boards will be 7-foot-2 center Samet Yigitoglu, who spent his first two campaigns with SMU. As a sophomore, he averaged a team-high 7.9 rebounds to go along with 10.7 points at a 62.8% shooting mark. His size is difficult to guard, and with a soft touch around the rim, Yigitoglu proves to be a very dangerous center.

With five transfers who averaged double-digit points in the 2025-26 season, the Hoosiers are in a good spot. If they can blend together and play one consistent style of basketball, the Hoosiers are set to improve in the 2026-27 campaign.

Women’s basketball
2025-26 record: 18-14, 6-12 Big Ten
Coach: Teri Moren
Player to watch: Lenée Beaumont

The 2025-26 season was the first since 2018-19 where the Hoosiers were under .500 in conference play.

And with Indiana’s leading scorer from last season – guard Shay Ciezki, who averaged 22.8 points per game – in the WNBA, coach Teri Moren’s squad will have a big hole to fill.

The key piece entering next season will likely be 6-foot-1 guard Lenée Beaumont – the second-leading scorer for the squad last year. Putting up 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds a game on a 43.1% clip from the field and a 37.6% clip from beyond the arc, Beaumont recorded double-digit points in all but six games last year.

The 2025-26 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner’s tall frame allows her to create her own shot while also distributing the ball to her teammates, shown by her three assists per game. Ciezki’s departure likely means Beaumont will take on more of the scoring burden, which, if she is able to, will allow her to shine on the post-Ciezki squad.

A familiar name to Bruin fans is forward Zania Socka-Nguemen, who played for UCLA during the 2024-25 season before transferring out. Last season, she averaged 11.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, marks that sat third and first on the squad, respectively. Returning to the Hoosiers, she will be crucial on the boards.

A new piece of the puzzle is forward Jessica Petrie, who transferred to the squad after three seasons with Nebraska. In her junior campaign, Petrie averaged 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game through 23 starts and 30 appearances. Already familiar with Big Ten play, Petrie should be able to make a relatively immediate impact on the Hoosier squad.

Indiana also picked up a pair of teammates from Iowa State in guard Kenzie Hare and forward Alisa Williams. Hare averaged six points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season, starting 31 of her 32 appearances. Williams came in off the bench, averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

The addition of these transfers could be enough to fill the gap left by Ciezki, but it will require transfers and returners to click and take over in roles they did not have to in years prior.