Former President Barack Obama released his annual March Madness bracket predictions on Wednesday, selecting defending champion UConn to cut down the nets in Phoenix.
Obama has published his NCAA tournament brackets since 2012, with his 2026 women's bracket predictions following a chalky approach with few upsets beyond the middle-seeded matchups.
.@BarackObama's bracket is set. What do you think of his picks?
— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) March 18, 2026
Good luck to all of the athletes competing and the young men from @MBK_Alliance getting a peek into careers in sports. pic.twitter.com/dOPyWEBuKB
The eight-year commander in chief picked all four No. 1 seeds to reach this year's Final Four, tapping UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina to advance to national semifinals. He additionally has each top seed defeating the No. 2 seed in their respective Elite Eight matchups — with one exception.
Obama's bracket predictions have No. 3 seed TCU knocking off No. 2 seed Iowa in the Sacramento regional, ending the Hawkeyes' tournament run before the Final Four.
UConn enters its March Madness title defense undefeated at 34-0. The Huskies won the 2025 NCAA title, and now aim to become the first team to repeat since their own historic four-peat from 2013 to 2016 — with the team's 2016 victory winning them a trip to President Obama's White House.
The former president's Final Four predictions feature UConn facing South Carolina in one national semifinal, while UCLA meets Texas in the other. The bracket has the Huskies subsequently defeating the Gamecocks, setting up a championship showdown with the Bruins.
Obama's selections align with this year's betting favorites, with UConn serving as heavy championship favorites with the shortest odds since 2018.
