Iowa made its first appearance in the conference championship game, while Michigan State made its third appearance ( L in 2011, W in 2013). Last season, the Big Ten Championship Game featured the Michigan State Spartans, champions of the East Division, and the Iowa Hawkeyes, champions of the West Division. The 2016 Championship Game would be the sixth in the Big Ten's 121-year history, and the third to feature the conference's East and West division alignment.
Penn State and Ohio State had identical 8–1 conference records, but Penn State won the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Buckeyes. The 2016 Big Ten Championship Game pitted the Wisconsin Badgers, champions of the West Division, who made its fourth appearance in six years in the conference title game, against the East Division champion Penn State Nittany Lions, who made their first-ever appearance in the conference championship game. It was the sixth annual Big Ten Football Championship Game to determine the 2016 champion of the Big Ten Conference. The 2016 Big Ten Football Championship Game was played Decemat Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. ^ – College Football Playoff participant.
