Former U.S. President Barack Obama used to fill out an NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket on ESPN with Andy Katz.
Katz, who first talked about the NCAA Tournament with Obama when he was a U.S. Senator, was surprised that the President of the United States was down for the idea.
“That shows how much this idea has blossomed,” he writes. Years ago, “there’s no way I would ever believe that asking then Sen. Obama in a conference room in Dunn, N.C., about filling out the bracket in the White House would turn into the National Museum of American History requesting the bracket boards.”
The former U.S. President, who served from 2008-16, released both his NCAA Men's and NCAA Women's brackets on Wednesday, March 18, the day before the games start on the men's side.
"(His) bracket is set. What do you think of his picks?" The Obama Foundation announced.
"Good luck to all of the athletes competing and the young men from @MBK_Alliance getting a peek into careers in sports."
.@BarackObama's bracket is set. What do you think of his picks?
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 Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) March 18, 2026
Obama's complete NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament bracket
Here's his full bracket:
The former U.S. President is going with No. 1 seed Arizona to take down No. 1 seed Duke in the national title game.
However, he has a No. 3 seed in Illinois reaching the Final Four, while also picking No. 2 seed Iowa State to win its region.
The first round of the Big Dance will start on Thursday.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Mar 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.