It isn't officially March until the brackets are out, and for college basketball fans, the most anticipated picks don't always come from the analysts at a desk. Former President Barack Obama released his 2026 NCAA tournament predictions Wednesday on Instagram, keeping alive his "Barack-etology" tradition that began in 2009 when, in his first year as president, he correctly picked the University of North Carolina to win the men’s national championship. While he often leans toward the favorites, this year’s bracket features a mix of powerhouse respect and bold "audacity" that has the sports world talking.

The headline of his bracket is clear: the University of Arizona is his pick to cut down the nets. Obama has the Wildcats navigating a treacherous path to the title, ultimately defeating Duke in the national championship game. Arizona enters the tournament as a dominant force after clinching the Big 12 title, and the former president clearly believes they have the depth to outlast the Blue Devils at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Beyond the championship, the bracket is peppered with strategic upsets that showcase a deep knowledge of this year’s field. One of the biggest eye-catchers is his first-round prediction for South Florida to take down Louisville. The Bulls enter the tournament on a massive 11-game winning streak, and it appears the former president is buying into the hype of the AAC champions. He also predicts that Illinois will find a way to dismantle the defending national champion Florida, ending the Gators' hopes of a repeat early in the tournament.

His Final Four is a star-studded lineup that includes Duke, Illinois, Arizona, and Iowa State. By picking Illinois and Iowa State to make it to the final weekend, he is betting against the chalk in regions that many experts considered locks for No. 1 seeds. Specifically, he has Iowa State pulling off a massive victory over Michigan to secure a spot in the Final Four.