Former President Barack Obama is once again stepping into one of his most anticipated annual rituals—revealing his picks for March Madness. The longtime basketball fan shared his 2026 NCAA tournament brackets this week, projecting Arizona to win the men’s championship and UConn to take the women’s title.
According to USA Today, Obama’s selections, released through the Obama Foundation, continue a tradition he’s maintained since 2012, when his presidential brackets became a cultural moment during the tournament. This year’s projections lean heavily toward top seeds, with relatively few surprises in the early rounds.
On the men’s side, he predicts a championship matchup between overall No. 1 seed Duke and Arizona, with Arizona ultimately cutting down the nets. His Final Four also includes Illinois and Iowa State, signaling confidence that higher-ranked programs will advance deep into the tournament.
On the women’s side, Obama’s bracket is even more straightforward. He has all four No. 1 seeds—UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina—reaching the Final Four. In his championship game, UConn is projected to defeat UCLA for the title.
The only notable deviation from expected outcomes comes in one region, where No. 3 TCU advances past No. 2 Iowa in the Elite Eight.
Obama’s brackets also include a handful of first-round upsets. Among them: No. 11 South Florida over No. 6 Louisville, along with wins by Utah State, Missouri, Iowa, and UCF in closely seeded matchups.
On the women’s side, his lone early upset features No. 9 Princeton defeating No. 8 Oklahoma State.
The former president’s participation reflects his well-documented love of basketball, dating back to his time in the White House, where pickup games and tournament predictions became part of his public persona.
Notably, Obama has correctly predicted the NCAA men’s champion twice, including North Carolina’s title run in 2009 and 2017.
He’s far from the only public figure joining the bracket frenzy this year. Celebrities and athletes, including Snoop Dogg, Micah Parsons, CC Sabathia, and Jimmy Fallon, have also shared their predictions.
