March Madness is upon us, and former President Barack Obama has once again shared his highly anticipated bracket for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Keeping up with his annual tradition, Obama has Arizona, Duke, Illinois, and Iowa State making it all the way to the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium. In a thrilling prediction, he sees Arizona and Duke clashing in the national championship game, with the Wildcats claiming their first national title since 1997.
Despite Duke being the No. 1 overall seed, Obama's faith in Arizona is a bold choice. Interestingly, his bracket doesn’t feature any double-digit seeds advancing to the second week, not even a classic No. 12 seed upset in the Round of 32.
Reactions to Obama’s picks have been mixed, as always. Some fans are skeptical, pointing to UCLA's current hot streak.
Others are cheering for his choice of Illinois in the Final Four. Social media buzzed with opinions, with some questioning his decision to have Wisconsin bow out in the second round, while others praised his basketball acumen.
Meanwhile, fans are buzzing about potential upsets elsewhere. Many are eyeing No.
11 USF to take down No. 6 Louisville, especially with Louisville's freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. sidelined by a back injury.
Similarly, No. 11 Texas is a popular pick to upset No.
6 BYU in their opening matchup, riding high after a nail-biting 66-68 victory over NC State in the First Four.
For those feeling particularly adventurous, No. 13 Hofstra is a trendy upset pick over No. 4 Alabama, with the Crimson Tide dealing with the absence of their second-leading scorer, Aden Holloway, due to legal issues.
As the tournament unfolds, fans will be watching closely to see if Obama's predictions hold up or if March Madness delivers its usual dose of unpredictability.