President Barack Obama's 2021 NCAA tournament bracket: His upsets and national champion

During his time in office, President Barack Obama made a habit of filling out an NCAA tournament bracket and the lifelong basketball fan has continued that trend even after he left the White House. President Obama filled out a 2021 NCAA tournament bracket and we're here to break it all down.

You can view President Obama's bracket below.

44's BRACKET!@BarackObama is picking all 1-seeds to reach the @FinalFour! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/xD8jOM5wdL

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 18, 2021

Going with Gonzaga

Like nearly 40 percent of entrants in the official Bracket Challenge Game, President Obama picked Gonzaga to win the NCAA tournament, beating Illinois — the namesake university in the state where he once served as a U.S. Senator — in the final.

Obama picked all four No. 1 seeds to advance to the Final Four, which has only happened once (2008) since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.

Detecting a dark horse

In Obama's Elite Eight, he has four No. 1 seeds, two No. 2 seeds, a No. 3 seed and ... a No. 6 seed — USC.

He projects the Trojans to defeat No. 11 seed Drake, No. 3 seed Kansas and No. 2 seed Iowa, before bowing out against No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga.

7 double-digit seeds picked to advance

Obama picked seven double-digit seeds to win in the first round, which is a reasonable pick. NCAA.com has found that there are roughly six double-digit seeds that win in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The biggest upset pick on his bracket is No. 13 seed Ohio upsetting reigning national champion Virginia — a No. 4 seed.

President Obama also has No. 12 seeds UC Santa Barbara, No. 12 seed Georgetown, No. 11 seed Michigan State, No. 10 seed Maryland, No. 10 seed Rutgers and No. 10 seed Virginia Tech winning in the first round.

 

COMPLETE NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY (1939-present)

1939-49 Brackets: 1939 |1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949

1950s: 1950 | 1951 |1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959

1960s: 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 |1967 | 1968 | 1969

1970s: 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 

1980s: 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989

1990s: 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999

2000s: 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009

2010s: 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 

Store: Shop latest college basketball gear
Listen: March Madness 365 podcast | Latest video

COVID-19 and college sports: Latest updates and schedules